[NTarrant]

Or rather that should be when will Unite/BASSA and the band learn to move on.

[VintageKrug]

I realise CharlesJones is somewhat behind the times, but sad to report that BASSA is losing its hate figure, Willie Walsh.

Keith Williams has been confirmed as CEO-in-waiting of British Airways since today’s shareholder approval of the merger between BA and IB .

So “Keith Williams and his Board” is what you should have written.

And their current successful policy won’t change one jot, as BA’s shareprice continues its resurgence over the past two years, almost doubling in value over a period DIRECTLY correlating to the industrial unrest initiated by BASSA:

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=BAY.L&t=2y&l=on&z=l&q=l&c=

[CharlesJones]

Actually Vintage Krug you are a little mis-informed.

“There are a few technical legal conditions to be met and then the merger will be complete on January 21, when BA and Iberia shares stop trading, Willie Walsh will assume the role as Chief Executive Officer IAG, and Keith Williams will take over as Chief Executive of British Airways.”

[Travellator]

Are the BA shares transferred automatically ?

[VintageKrug]

Aha, yes I stand corrected.

But there will be no change in policy between Willie’s management and Keith’s.

Remind me when Duncan Holley is seeking re-election to his £75,000+ per annum post with BASSA?

[CharlesJones]

VK,to be fair I think you’ll know the answer to that before anyone else.

[CharlesJones]

By the way VK,you’re absolutely right,BA’s policy won’t change one dot. In fact I don’t know why they’d even need to think about changing any policies after what Willie Walsh said today at the AGM re the dispute.

Amazing.

[Alasdair]

Whatever happens, whether there is further strike action within BA we all know, it is led by a man and Board with a most inappropriate management ethos. It is clear BA’s primary directive and mission statement is “to line our pockets at any cost,” whether this be at the cost of passenger satisfaction, and indeed, employee motivation.

As a matter of fact, Willie Walsh is on record stating that “if you aren’t happy flying BA, fly someone else.” Now that really inspires me as a punter on his airline in one of the worlds major service-led industries.

And what company doesn’t inspire goodwill and positivity amongst its workforce to generate better results for both passengers and consequently the shareholders? Am I missing something here?

He shouldn’t be spending vast resources and setting up contingency pans for future strike action… they should be investing those resources into seeing how they can draw up a reasonable solution to this blight of Industrial unrest which has seen BA slip in the public eye.

If you want to see all this in action, look at the model of the ever so successful Air Asia and their company directive. The GM’s mission is to believe in his staff as number one… and the results have surely followed.

[Flytoomuch]

“If you want to see all this in action, look at the model of the ever so successful Air Asia and their company directive. The GM’s mission is to believe in his staff as number one… and the results have surely followed.”

LOL – you’re kidding right?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Air Asia and I’ve a huge amount of respect for what Tony, Conor et al have achieved. But do you have any idea what Air Asia’s crews and non-flying staff enjoy in terms of conditions, remuneration and job security? OK, so it’s a low-cost airline based in a country with a GDP a fraction of the UK’s. But you brought up the comparison.

I will comfortably say that almost all Air Asia’s crew will willingly take on BA’s proposed T&Cs, even the Mixed Fleet conditions (what more, the labour law protections they get in the UK, such as the protections against age and sex discrimination – ever wondered why you don’t get an old and/or ugly trolley-dollies on some airlines?).

I can comfortably say also that from a corporate governance perspective, if I were to be a (minority) shareholder or an employee, I would take WW and his lot any day.

[Alasdair]

I never once referred to Air Asia’s T&Cs… they are indeed what they are and do what they do – provide an excellent low-cost product for individuals demanding that service! The conditions are what staff accepted at recruitment and it is how the company manages to charge such low fares. The difference is, cleverly and rightfully, they are made to feel like respected members of the team.

John Lewis is another organisation which spring to mind.

However, BA purports to provide a Premium service and charges accordingly! Market rate for crew is bandied around haphazardly but doesn’t really apply, and in any case as mentioned previously, BA offered current crew their salaries and T&Cs upon application.

What I am saying is that instead of being “above water” financially with a completely demoralised staff-base and reputation in tatters (whether this is from recent Industrial Action or BA Management inadequacies), happy and content staff will be more than willing to go the extra mile than within a company where they do not feel respected and worthwhile.

By the way, you are offensive in that you refer to old/ugly “trolly dollies” and show your lack of respect for professional service industry. BA is one of the few existing airlines and many of its employees have provided faithful service lasting more than 2 decades. Indeed what brand loyalty does top management within BA share?

[Flytoomuch]

Alasdair – I myself am ugly and by some standards, old, and I do not agree that my trolley-dolley comment was offensive – it was meant to illustrate the different ‘standards’ by which the two cultures operate – that Air Asia crew for example (seemingly) accept this discrimination (which you point out is offensive) without it (seemingly) affecting morale ! Do you think BA crew would accept this?

Back to your comparisons – I happen to know a few Air Asia and BA employees and a few JLP/Waitrose partners – some of the AA employees and JLP partners aren’t happy with their bosses/management, some are actively looking for new jobs (but you wouldn’t know about that, would you, it’s not been in the news), the BA employees I know happen to be militantly on the side of management on this dispute (indeed, some want the strikers fired for putting the company/their jobs at risk).

A ‘happy workforce’ in any large organisation must surely be an anachronism, particularly when there is little excess to spread around. Get real.

And by the way, what makes you doubt top management’s brand loyalty to BA? Have you seen some of the strikers’ comments about the brand?

[Alasdair]

“Putting their jobs at risk.’

OK, on this note, do you not for ONE minute consider it has been the pig headedness of BA management not to end this industrial dispute which MIGHT have put BA in danger of being at risk?

In any case, they seemingly are not, and have reported recent profit and are in a clearly “robust state” (another WW quote). What’s more, did BA workers for one moment look at the substantial pay rises top management have awarded themselves of late and the share options which were publicly announced?

I suggest you and them, “Get Real.”

[Delsurrey]

Are BA management being pig headed? If you read the recent notices on the uniteba site it appears to me that there is so much infighting between BASSA, CC89 and Unite that there is not a hope of anyone reaching a settlement in this matter.

[Hippocampus]

Alasdair, No one can argue against there being a better and more productive and cooperative relationship between BA and its employees, but this takes both sides to make it work and throughout the well documented history of this dispute there has been no evidence of any positive and constructive moves by the union branches to reach a settlement or avoid conflict in the first place.

This tawdry unedifying dispute has been plagued by infighting between the two branches, personal attacks on BA senior managers, and downright lies and half-truths which the unions have allowed to fester. It seems to me that BASSA actually wants conflict and will happily use the tools of fear and intimidation to do so.

[Alasdair]

Actually, they are busy investing all their time, energy and money into devising “contingency plans” and taking “volunteering” employees out of their work roles to be adequate enough to cover future strike action at the expense of negotiation…. this indeed indicates pig headedness and a pure disregard for the issues at hand.

They are not interested in coming to any compromise, clearly.

I don’t know where the Unions stand, but you might well be confusing infighting with discussion and debate, which is perhaps a good thing… something that BA management should make a point more of a point of doing to solve this degradation of a great British brand.

[Author]

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