BA strikers to lose travel perks

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Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 145 total)

  • VintageKrug
    Participant

    Once again (in case you missed it the first time) staff travel is not a benefit. It is not part of the T&Cs of employment.

    No matter how Tony Woodley would like it to be, it forms no part whatsoever, nor ever has done, of the BA Employment Contract. Perhaps he would like to take his third case to court against BA and lose for the third time, possibly costing his members yet another £1.2m in the process?


    RedFlyer
    Participant

    Although it is stated by Airlines as a ‘privilege’ in reality it forms part of the package in the eyes of someone entering into the industry and is one of the key reasons why the Travel industry is generally able to pay below median market salaries.

    It is a benefit, much the same as Banks used to provide discounted mortgages to staff. Not a right but a privilege.

    At the end of the day they don’t offer staff travel out of the goodness of their hearts.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    A benefit is a strictly defined term, and Staff Travel is not a benefit, no matter how much it might seem to be.


    RedFlyer
    Participant

    VintageKrug
    Taken from BA’s own recruitment webpage

    “Your remuneration package will be determined by your individual contract of employment. Whilst this varies from business to business, typical benefits include:

    Opportunities for reduced air fare travel and travel discounts*
    Generous holiday entitlement
    Contributory pension and private healthcare schemes
    Profit share scheme*
    Bonus*
    Employee share scheme*
    Superb sports and social amenities & opportunity to join BA Clubs
    Subsidised staff restaurants
    * at the company’s discretion “


    Tim2soza
    Participant

    RedFlyer – My FFP have always and only ever been used to redeem flights for business travel. My company paid for my business flights, so they are entitled to the benefits, not me.

    Miles earned from my credit card company for personal expenditure are deemed by HMRC to be a discount, and therefore not taxable. These I have used for personal travel, which in all cases has been to bring my family to see me when I have been working abroad for long periods.

    I have also always carbon offset my flights at my own personal cost.

    European employment law is weighted heavily in favour of the employee, quite rightly. Not sure what the unions add to the equation these days except job insecurity for it’s striking members. (How ironic!)


    Tim2soza
    Participant

    Redflyer – the last three words in your quote of the BA recruitment blurb… “at the company’s discretion “


    RedFlyer
    Participant

    As are
    “Profit share scheme* Bonus* Employee share scheme*”

    They are all however described (in BA’s words) “Typical benefits”


    Tim2soza
    Participant

    RedFlyer – Indeed so. I think also BA should have added the line ‘The way it works is you have to show up for work in order to get these benefits, perks, profit shares etc, if you wouldn’t mind.’

    The employment contract of each employee will specify exactly what the remuneration entitlement is, and what is discretionary.


    NTarrant
    Participant

    Redflyer I’m afraid you have lost this argument in your own posting, “Opportunities for reduced air fare travel and travel discounts” the word opportunities says that it is not a right but the potential employee has the “opportunity” for the privileges.

    Most travel providers will offer some scheme for employee travel, but it is not a right. If you join the railways, you only get discounted travel on the company you work for, but if you joined 20 years ago you get a discount on any company. Disappointing that may be for a new employee.

    The travel industry has never been well paid and having travel discounts are not “part of the package” or a way to pay people less.

    Getting back to BA the company has every right to withdraw these privileges to anyone at anytime and it can give a greater benefit to certain groups if it so wishes. They were warned they would loose the perk, they had the option of working available. Do you think that Tony Woodley cares if his members loose their perks, no chance.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Quite right NTarrant.

    Staff travel is NOT a contractual benefit in kind and these discretionary perks form no part WHATSOEVER of the contract of employment.

    End of.

    You can see what these discretionary benefits entail here:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8586933.stm

    If you illustrate the “benefit” on a domestic flight, the saving is paltry as the fare component is often as low as £10, with the remaining £70 made up of taxes and fees. So a £9 saving would result.

    But on a £600 economy fare to Sydney, for the BA employee and friends/family plus potential to upgrade depending on seniority, the perk could add up to thousands.


    luxury_travel
    Participant

    At the back of my mind, I always wonder what would have been the consequences if after the 1st strike ended and before the 2nd strike commences, WW changed his tactics a little and say for those strikers who took part in the 1st strike but not taking part in the second strike, would now have to pay let say 25% for their standby ticket instead of losing the perk all together, I wonder if this will encourage more crew to get back to work ?

    Not holding it as ransom, but opportunity for those who might think twice about going on strike.

    My view is clear, everybody in the same boat, either keep the boat afloat or everybody sink.


    binabdulaziz
    Participant

    This strike very bad for British AIrways and is good to see Mr Walsh taking firm hand.

    But, 9,000 vote for strike and cause big damage through put off customers from booking, only those who do not work punished.

    So people who cause damage to company by vote for strike, then just come to work don’t get punished.

    Is this right?


    Bullfrog
    Participant

    I flew to the USA on Thursday March 18 … out of the 14 ‘suites’ available in the airline’s most premium cabin, there were 7 of that airline’s staff.

    Before the aircraft had left the gate, the noise level & banter was as if the cabin was their own living room. Lovely people but ‘very unprofessional’ for the remaining passengers.

    As regards the airline whose staff are ‘stupidly’ striking, I would suggest :

    “three strikes & you’re out” ….. simple and effective


    MarcusUK
    Participant

    Seems simple…

    When the strike is over, If the Airline does survive, some staff wont get to work. Many live outside of London, the UK, or regionally, as Company policy introduced to cut costs sometime ago.
    The damage being done abroad is really quite devastating i hear both from friends views in different continents, as well as their press. The reputation of BA will never recover.
    I see BAA cancellations on their site this morning to Africa, Far East, Middle East, USA, Europe and its only 9.50am!

    Other Airlines are already getting B A’s advance bookings VS being one…and running ad’s stating their contented staff & reliability of no strikes…

    Whatever yr view here, it seems hypocritical to degrade the staff that enable or not, yr travel experience to be good or bad. There are such terms used they express near hate & derisory comments.
    So why don’t those people cut up yr gold cards & fly someone else if you detest the staff so much?!!!

    Any “Company” in such a state with its staff is one of failed “Management”.
    The other Airlines are taking B A’s Business, & all involved are responsible for the demise of B A, & its road towards failing…But then every BA CEO has been pushed out eventually…!


    FlightDoctor
    Participant

    I’m not surprised that the issue of perks is becoming a hot topic. A friend who has worked in a ground-based job for BA for many years recently took his family in F to SFO for a long weekend for the cost of a short break to Rome for the rest of us!

    This has got to be a big bargaining tag, as other correspondents have said, and, depsite WW’s inistence that perks are now lost permanently for all strikers, I wouldn’t be surprised if some restitution of them is offered up as an eventual olive branch settlement.

Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 145 total)
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