[AlanOrton1]

I certainly support a decent wage for Mixed Fleet. As with almost all strikes, you get the impression something will be worked out.

By paying a little more, BA could get to a position where new recruits actively want to work for them, and thus possibly improve the calibre of the ‘pool’ they hire from. Maybe wishful thinking from a practical standpoint!

Do BA have 3 types of crew and pay structure; Legacy, MF and Gatwick?
Back when Legacy crew had their issues just prior to WW moving ‘upstairs’, I thought Gatwick crew were highlighted as being on yet different contracts.

As an aside, my thoughts on an earlier post are all crew need to have their first flight, and whether the cabin crew nearest me are on theirs, or the first officer is on theirs, doesn’t personally trouble me in the least.

[rferguson]

There’s actually more than three.

There’s the pre-1997 legacy contract. The post-1997 legacy contract. Mixed Fleet. LGW. And CityFlyer. Pre and post ’97 legacy contract crew work together to the same terms, conditions and agreements. The only difference is in the base pay (pre ’97 has more increments). LGW and MF are largely aligned these days both in terms of remuneration, rostering and T&C’s. CityFlyer I know very little about.

[greyhawkgeoff]

rferguson thanks for the clarification re cabin crew groups. But to add my tuppence – what about different pension scheme benefits? A long time back in the late 80’s when I was working in Hayes, just down the road from Heathrow I recall a lot of BA people taking the management shilling and being bought out of the Airline Pension Scheme APS for several thousand pounds apiece in favor of the New Airline Pension Scheme NAPS a vastly inferior scheme. An acquaintance of mine took the money, bought a nice car, had some new furniture and bemoaned his decision later…..I suspect that cabin crew have gone thru several iterations of pension scheme since, always on a reduced benefit/increased cost and risk scale. Can you shed any light on this, too?

[rferguson]

greyhawkgeoff – oh jeez. Pensions. There are so many different pension schemes that have opened and closed for new ones to open over the years at BA i’m not even sure what is on the table anymore. I know the pensions scheme that closed just a couple years before I joined was exceptional. The one i’m on I think is considered worth having. Though I know that one has since closed also and another opened since to replace it. Our union has also said that BA is to make a ‘major announcement’ regarding our pensions soon.

[Chutzpahflyer]

“This comprises of a starting salary of £12,192 per annum, an hourly payment when you are flying,…” What?! These people are employed to fly, that is their job, so to pay them hourly of being in the air is inappropriate, and surely encourages them to cram in flight hours so they can earn a decent wage (and £25k in West London is not a decent wage), which means we – passengers – get tired cabin crew, with all the poor service and risks that entails.

Oh, wait a minute… that poor service from tired FAs is too often the case on BA these days.

[rferguson]

Chutzpahflyer – i’m not on the Mixed Fleet contract so cannot give an average ‘take home’ for a MF steward/ess. I guess the £12,192 basic is black and white. The £3 per hour flight pay is calculated from sign on at LHR until sign off back at LHR paid around the clock. So if you are going to CDG and back it would probably equal £25. If it was a nine day SIN-SYD i’ll let someone else do the sums 🙂 So there is a lot of variables there. I know that unlike legacy fleet they also get quarterly incentive payments for attendance and something else.

In terms of the flying hours, these are safeguarded by EASA and apply to all european airlines – whether it be BA, Air France, Ryanair or Wizz. The difference being that some will work their crew to pretty much the allowable minimum in terms of rest and the maximum in terms of flight duty period.

Any crew member can work a maximum of 900 flying hours per rolling year. I’m on the long haul legacy contract and I generally hit that (pro rata as i’m part time) but full time longhaul legacy crew generally hover around the 900 hour mark, as would cabin crew on MF. The big difference is in how the 900 hours are calculated…instead of check in to check out or for the whole duty period EASA calculates them from push back to arrival on stand. So the hours spent on the ground on turnarounds during a Mixed Fleet short haul duty don’t count towards the 900 hours.

[AlanOrton1]

rferguson – would it be right to say that BA is far from the only airline that pay cabin crew a fixed salary, plus flying time ‘allowance’?

I recall many moons ago a friend of a friend who worked for Virgin Sun saying her basic (low) wage was made up of fixed salary plus flying time allowance etc.

[rferguson]

Oh it’s absolutely the norm in the industry. In fact I can’t think of an airline that does not pay a basic plus flight pay or trip pay in some form or another.

[DerekVH]

[quote quote=781462]instead of check in to check out or for the whole duty period EASA calculates them from push back to arrival on stand. So the hours spent on the ground on turnarounds during a Mixed Fleet short haul duty don’t count towards the 900 hours[/quote]

How on earth do BA get away with that one? its not as if the cabin crew can leave the aircraft and go shopping during the turnaround! I hate to say this but MF are not being well represented by their Union(s).

Apologies to Alan, I am not quite sure how rferguson’s post was attributed to you!

[wowzimmer]

BA Mixed Fleet only work on 15% of routes so any strike won’t have much of an impact. Which is a shame really, as it must be so hard for these workers to make their voice heard in any other way.

https://alwayspaddleyourowncanoeblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/16/potential-british-airways-strike-likely-to-have-little-effect/

[SimonS1]

So its a 48 hour strike for MF from 00.01 on 25th December.

[rferguson]

DerekVH it’s how the governing body EASA calculates the hours, not BA. It’s common for all european airlines – max 2000 hours p.a ‘duty hours’ (which would include time on the ground during a turnaround, standby duties, training etc) and 900 flying hours (chock to chock).

It’s only actually been for about the past six years that ANY maximum annual flying hours for cabin crew have been in place. Prior to that we could fly all the hours under the sun providing maximum duty periods and minimum rest were adhered to.

[MarcusGB]

Found this rather indignant blunt message on the BA website.

http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/help-in-disruption/strike/latest-information

Hardley worded in a fashion that has sympathy for the Passengers of BA with a need to fly, nor the offer to be booked with other carriers.
I know AF KLM did re-book people as have LH with their troubles.

As a Professional at Director level, i would never address my staff teams in such a way.
Neither would i address users of our services.Overall its feel is to create an impression of intollerant, out of touch Money profit centred Managament and senior Directors of BA. They clearly do not understand what a Decent wage is, with the Government imposing a minimum wage, and the living wage in London £12+ an hour?

“British Airways “, you no longer are our National Airline with all your cuts, and hypocrisy criticising your staff, when you publically speak to them in this manner.
You make enough profit without demeaning your work force, some sleeping in their cars to save money!

You are finished as our National carrier, even loyal BT customers are leaving you in droves after your cuts, charges, and LCC model in Europe and medium Haul.
I would rather walk than board one of your flights, with your unethical and ignorant Management and attitude.

I feel very sorry for the Crews who are striking, and embarrassed for the hard working crews at BA. Since their new CEO and Walsh changed roles, the “Airline” has scraped the bottom barrel.
They should be downgraded by Skytrax and other award programs.
Absolutely disgusting.

[rferguson]

The ranking decent has begun already MarcusGB

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/best-worst-airlines-ba-which-ryanair/

[PeterCoultas]

Lovely celebratory season (mid Dec- mid Jan) and I can look forward to travelling frequently between festive food on the table and the couch with its boring but festive TV.

Why on earth did I not escape on time! Apart from real problems like fog closing our favourite well sited airport at Heathrow we now have effectively 2 weeks of rail blockade (last week & 9-14 January), no rail service at all (Xmas day) and a series of maximally inconvenient efforts by BA cabin crew et many al. (As fiercely HB only I’m not that concerned with baggage handlers). Luckily these people can all afford to take unpaid leave with their generous pay.

Can I suggest that power plant staff, emergency doctors, telecom staff and other esential public servents all also take the opportunity to put forward their various claims…..then we can all enjoy the prospect of at least a better and happier new year….enjoy your Christmas

[Author]

Posts