[CallMeIshmael]

As Krug has proclaimed it is over – the oracle has spoken….

..
just take care MS apparently risk of low flying suidae in the LHR area.

[StephenLondon]

Actually, Alasdair, I wasn’t specifically referring to the PCCC, but from your reaction, you seem rather worried about them.

I was actually referring to a generic union, with leaders who work for their members, are able to discuss matters calmly with their members, are able to sit and discuss contracts, agreements and business plans with the people running a business (“management”) and work together for a win-win situation.

Is that BASSA? I don’t think so. At every turn they’ve sought to personalise this dispute (remember those face masks of WW made out to look like Hitler?), circulate untruths (planes circling LHR, loads of a/c on the ground in Ireland) and intimidate non-union cabin crew (amongst others). And their inability to sit in a room to negotiate is ludicrous. No, No, No is not a negotiation. Hence my comment about a union being professional and behaving like a mature adult.

[VintageKrug]

Quite right, Stephen London.

Walsh portrayed as Hitler:

http://timesnews.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341d811753ef01310ff1278d970c-800wi

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/3/21/1269167257157/British-Airways-Cabin-Cre-005.jpg

Further Nazi references and imagery used by BASSA, suggesting British Airways has a programme of “ethnic cleansing” against BASSA members and making parallels to the Holocaust:

http://bassa.co.uk/bassa/downloads/NewsArticlePDFFile-785.pdf

——–

BASSA’s many blatant untruths during the previous strike, with photographic evidence in the link:

– Unite The Union Release: 20 more planes had been moved to Cardiff to be parked, and a further 20 flown to Shannon, in western Ireland, to sit out the strike

– BA Strike Fact: British Airways positioned and parked no aircraft at either Cardiff or Shannon.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/flyingwithfish/2010/03/21/the-british-airways-strike-separating-unite-the-unions%E2%80%99-fiction-from-fact/

——-

Inabiity to sit in a room and negotiate evidenced here, submitted under oath at the High Court:

vi) 9th – 30th June – Intermittent talks at Heathrow Renaissance Hotel. In the course of such;

a) 15th June BASSA had a heated argument with Amicus and refused to cooperate together
……..
ix) 21st, 30th September and 1st and 2nd October – Following an agreement reached between BA’s CEO and the Joint General Secretaries of Unite, there was a further sustained resort to ACAS for conciliation. I heard evidence as to the course of events at ACAS and the following emerged. The BASSA and Amicus factions were separately represented and sat in separate rooms. Despite the efforts of ACAS they could not be persuaded to join forces for a meeting with BA. The latter raised the possibility of separate agreements with the respective factions but, understandably, that did not appeal. In the overall result there was no meeting between the Union and BA.

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2010/302.html
………..

BASSA’s facebook intimidation campaign:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250377/BA-suspends-union-militants-strike-intimidation.html

which included the registration of a fake “mirror” PCCC website which was filled with porn.

——-

BASSA voted “No” to negotiation at a show of hands at a meeting in Sandown Park racecourse early 2010. A vote to reverse that decision has never been proposed.

——–

BASSA has lost 2,500 members lost since this dispute commenced.

The despotic Duncan Holley is no longer employed by BA, yet has changed the BASSA constitution so scheduled elections will not be held until the end of the dispute, which ensures he continues to receive his lucrative sinecure.

On 23 January 2011, Holley told all but 5,751 of his remaining 8,500 members to leave BASSA:

http://www.uniteba.com/LATESTNEWSUPDATES.html

So we can see BASSA is doing all it can to reduce its own membership, and get itself derecognised, leaving BA Cabin Crew to join Unite directly or choose another more representative entity for collective bargaining purposes.

In addition, concerned about being sued for incompetence by its own membership, BASSA has registered a limited company BASSA Ltd. as a vehicle to protect itself from such a liability. “BASSA Limited” is a newly found company that is accountable for membership funds.

Accounts are not due until October 2012 according to Companies House.

Accountants Northover Bennett & Co in Eastleigh Hants is the registered address for this “new company” that was founded on 13th January 2011.

Cue SocialistWorker-sponsored unsubstantiated statements:

[Alasdair]

You are completely deluded if you honestly believe BA want a “negotiated settlement” of this dispute, it is pure domination they want and it is purely through union busting this can be achieved – no matter how you wish to gloss it over.

Regards PCCC why would I be worried? A group of self involved wanna be despots clearly will not garner significant Crew support. But I agree, a functional Union voice is to be encouraged, and recent efforts by existing branches under Unite (considering the forementioned attitude of BA management) are doing a stirling job to maintain the great verve amongst Crew considering the extremely lengthy nature of this dispute.

[StephenLondon]

Wow, Alasdair, projecting at its best. Impressive.

I think VK has provided clear back-up to points raised…where is your back-up other than your own thoughts? We have proof of BASSA leaders being self-involved despots (no wanna-be there, they are!)…let’s give the PCCC a chance to show their merit. Clearly BASSA have lost theirs.

Oh, where are the BASSA accounts? And just what is BASSA LTD?

[Hippocampus]

The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

It seems clear that Unite will never be able to organise a legal ballot (and will no doubt find somebody else to blame) and Duncan Holley’s message below clearly links the next ballot to previous ones.

Ballot cancelled, feeling downhearted?

Most of you, by now will have received a letter from Lenny McCluskey, confirming that our current ballot has had to be cancelled due to BA’s leadership’s preference for yet more “dirty tricks” style tactics, rather than simply listening to their own staff

So are we downhearted, full of doom and gloom? Errr … actually no, not in the slightest, and neither should you be; there is absolutely no need.

This is a different phase of the dispute that we are now in, it’s no longer about rushing into strike dates; it is all about sending a message. A message about our pride, our defiance, a message simply saying that despite all their bullying, threats and punishments, we as crew are all still here and our spirit will not be broken.

You no longer need actual strikes to pressure the company – ballots can have the same effect, since they carry the threat of strikes. It would now appear that a simple, well-placed cross on the ballot paper removes some of the need to actually lose money and stand on picket lines. The intransigent British Airway board’s complete lack of willingness to move beyond the tired and already discredited Willy Walsh era is kindly doing the rest for us!

Why? Because every time a ballot is announced – and they will be, on and on until a fair solution has been found – it has the same effect as going on strike. The continued uncertainty keeps passengers away in their droves, and leaves BA a house divided internally, without the morale needed to deliver the top-class service we all want. We simply need to have good, strong ballot results every time, the higher the percentage the better, to keep this pressure on. So go ahead BA legal, congratulate yourselves on your “brilliant” strategy.

Will they injunct us again on our next one?

Of course it’s possible, but all it will mean is that once again, instead of all this being settled long ago, their unimaginative and belligerent approach means our dispute is now entering its second summer. The ongoing uncertainty will now sadly continue to affect bookings for the future… first it will be the busy summer period, if they decide to injunct once again, then it’s Christmas for a third year.

How much longer can a team that calls themselves our “leadership” continue to ignore its own employees – the very people on whom the British Airways brand is built upon – let alone its own customers?

Mr Williams has an opportunity, and indeed a duty, to prove to the world that he is different to his predecessor and will resurrect the good name of British Airways – to make it what it should and can be, not what it has become.

An opportunity to not follow in the footsteps of Gordon Brown when he took over as Prime Minister because he simply become a paler version of what had already gone before. Mr Williams must now show the courage to be different to Walsh, gain the respect of his staff and not be afraid to be seen to be fair.

If he doesn’t then the ballots will continue on and on, because we are never giving up until we get justice.

The people of Egypt showed that if you don’t take your people with you when in power, the people could take your power away.

If we hear nothing positive from Mr Williams expressing an interest in
talking, then your new ballot is ready to be sent.

…. Oh, and by the way, this time it will have even more items on it. We will of course need to cover yet more breaches of our agreements that have taken place; they may have thought they had gotten away with those, but they haven’t.

Keep strong, keep together keep calm and carry on; it’s working but most of all keep the faith.

[hemispheres]

In reading Duncan Holley’s message above, it reminds me of age old communist rants ‘comrades, our brothers .. we are with you’.

[VintageKrug]

Just who is in “de Nile” now, Duncan?

The more reasons he picks for strike action, the easier it is to challenge the ballot, duh!

Though there is a suggestion BA sought an injuction against the most recent ballot, this is not the case; BA simply wrote to ERS with concerns about BASSA’s recordkeeping, and the ERS refused to endorse the ballot as a consequence.

Some good traffic stats for January, despite the poor weather, do not support BASSA’s suggestion that people are putting off booking because of the threat of strikes:

http://www.iagshares.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=240949&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1524041&highlight=

—

Woof woof! Holley’s utterly barking mad, but must be on a roll in between the G&Ts. More drivel:

—–

12th February 2011 – Sir William Of Waterwide

“Arise” Sir William of Waterside

It’s interesting to note that in recent communication, our erstwhile and revered leader has gone from the more formal, Bill Francis, head of IFCE to just simple “Bill”; whether we should read anything into this is unclear.

So what has happened to inspire this exercise in moniker shortening? Is he preparing himself in readiness to join “Sir” Martin in the next New Years Honours list?

Probably not. It could be nothing more than the fact that the Bill Francis “brand name” is now so utterly bereft of any value whatsoever, and to be frank, held in such complete and utter contempt by the vast majority of crew, that he has simply decided to “re-brand” himself as just plain old “Bill”.

Let’s face it; it does sound a little chummier, “matey” if you will. It fits perfectly with “Bill’s a good lad” or “that Bill’s a nice bloke” perhaps. Virtually everybody has an uncle Bill, and without exception they are usually nice! Perhaps he hopes some of that fondness that people usually have for a “good old Uncle Bill” will finally rub off on him.

Or maybe he just hopes that you will just think it’s somebody else called “Bill” so his recent, ill-judged statements and crass comments such as it’s an “exciting time to come to work in IFCE if we could all forget the dispute” or “we are investing more than ever in the customer experience” wouldn’t sound quite so hollow. Or even that there is a slim chance that the diminishing number of “real” crew may just take him seriously.

Because let’s face it, these words could not seriously come from the real current head of IFCE, could they? Not the man who presides over a department where his own people sit on a car park bus in near silence, only speaking to those they know and can trust, afraid to look at, or even strike up a conversation with colleagues that they don’t know just in case they say the wrong thing or glance at somebody the “wrong way”. Where the value of CRM has completely and utterly gone, as the majority of crew turn their backs on pilot colleagues for turning their backs on us. Then, when they finally get to work, spend a substantial amount of that time apologising to our actual customers for the ever-diminishing product we have to offer?

Those words could not come from “that” Bill surely?

A far more likely theory could be that he realises nobody but a handful of his chosen acolytes actually ever read his stuff anyway, and that these are so few in number that he is more than likely on first name terms with them anyway.

Let’s be honest, rather than trying to curry favour with a name change, perhaps a simple show of hands would have sufficed to obtain the credibility amongst crew that he so desperately chases…

Hands up all those who think that good old Bill “exciting place to work” Francis is doing a great job and should be duly recognised for his sterling work?

Hmmm, maybe he should stick with “William” after all…hello? Hello? Bill? Bill?

—–

[Delsurrey]

I know I am probably deluded but given the rantings that are detailed in the previous two postings, plus comments from genuine BASSA members on other forums, surely it is clear that BA have exhuasted all reasonable attempts at negotiation? If they are now truly using know union busting techniques it is perhaps understandable but what makes it worse is that BASSA’s behaviour is letting it happen. If I were a member of BASSA I would be looking for a change of leadership in order to move things forward..

[StephenLondon]

Can the above really come from DH? Must have a new spell-checker and he even gets the odd apostrophe in the correct place. Hmmmm.

[VintageKrug]

The net is closing in:

http://www.pprune.org/cabin-crew/429534-ba-cc-industrial-relations-current-airline-staff-only-155.html#post6247223

[VintageKrug]

It’s interesting how the BASSA supporters seem to have gone to ground; it appears they have been told to rein in their rantings to avoid any further embarrassment over further action.

I maintain the potential for further withdrawal of labour is now minimal; the dispute is effectively over and has been for a number of weeks.

[Alasdair]

Really? Another spurious comment. Is that why BA continue to throw away shareholders returns on expense paid vacations of international ground staff over to LHR to train as Crew for a strike that will never happen?

Add to that, take hundreds out of their posts in the UK (like Engineering, IT etc) leaving departments short staffed and under manned. All to prepare for a dispute which is done dusted?

Next time you step on a BA plane and the video screen flops about or a toilet is out of use & you look around thinking how tired the whole outfit is looking, just know that the people responsible for repairs have been UNNECESSARILY summoned to Crew training school.

Or are BA still worried? And is that why they continue to throw away thousands of pounds rather than negotiate?

[VintageKrug]

I am a passenger, I am am most certainly not worried about a strike; and I have backed that assertion up with several thousands pounds of my own money in longhaul flights exLHR over the coming months.

I know a strike will have minimal effect on my flight plans, and many of my friends and colleagues are of the same opinion; this is not idle fantasy, but borne out to be a wider trend by the passengers stats which demonstrate growth in passenger numbers which have improved despite the weather-related difficulties experienced recently:

http://www.iagshares.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=240949&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1524041&highlight=

There is value in the VCC programme over and above any strike-busting agenda; it is a useful opportunity for managers and people in other non-flying departments to experience life in the air, and to understand how difficult that can be, at times.

Speaking to some BA Managers who had been VCC at a Gold Card event this summer, several commented how valuable they had found it, and how much they had learned from the experience. As a direct result of the VCC programme, they are intiating changes in their own departments, and have a much greater understanding of the issues faced by cabin crew on a day-to-day basis.

In addition, VCC crew are able to support crew insituations such as snow and other disruption, such as where BASSA refuses to initiate the disruption agreement. This ensures that despite BASSA’s refusal to assist stranded passengers, BA can get its customers home, no thanks to the Union.

Personally, I hope the VCC programme continues, it is being maintained only because the threat of IA exists and while I do indeed believe the dispute is over, it is still a worthwhile investment to ensure BASSA’s threat of IA remains impotent.

[Alasdair]

Well I would prefer that money being invested into the chair that sat on (able to recline properly), the washrooms I use (functional), the entertainment I watched (tried to), carpet (I tripped on), tray that I ate off (which slanted awkwardly) etc…

I don’t know about you?

I am glad to read your comment re the valuable experience gained from partaking in VCC, maybe now some more respect can be directed at Crew and their voices heard (through their majority Union). Employees have basic rights, and these include those negotiated with a recognised Union body.

From that I understand that negotiations will continue again and for all us travelling public, BA will be an undisputed pleasure to fly once again.

[Author]

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