[VintageKrug]

My enjoyment of flying BA has no correlation whatsoever with the numbers of unionised cabin crew.

[VintageKrug]

Since this dispute began, BASSA has suffered at least a 20% reduction in membership. From a high of nearly 12,000 in 2008, they’re down at least 2,500 to well under 9,000, assuming BASSA’s own figures are accurate (!).

With BASSA members resorting to the use of Nazi imagery, it’s not surprising wavering members are put off:

http://daylife.sky.com/imageserve/0dmM91Edndabg/610x.jpg

And again a BASSA propaganda sheet littered with references paralleling this “struggle” to the Holocaust:

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

They also have a penchant for using children to make their point, which is deeply unpleasant:

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/94c16cff08.jpg

BASSA reps have deferred elections, continuing to draw their union sinecures (tens of thousands per annum in some cases..) until at least October this year.

Duncan Holley, who is in charge of this dispute, was fired by BA for gross misconduct in 2009, as he repeatedly did not turn up for rostered flights, prioritising instead Union work, despite BASSA itself having ripped up the Facilities Agreement which might have permitted him more time to perform such duties. This sacking was upheld by an Employment Tribunal in June 2010 and further ruling on his Appeal is due shortly..

We should remember that this is an example of the sort of thing for which BASSA militants have been disciplined:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3091625/British-Airways-cabin-crew-in-vandalised-a-plane-on-Sydney-to-London-flight-it-has-been-claimed.html

There are many MUCH more serious allegations which BA cannot comment on for legal reasons. It is telling that Unite has not put its money where its mouth is to support many of these actions, as it doesn’t believe they have a reasonable chance of success.

NO accounts have been published to BASSA members, demonstrating a lack of transparency.

From a passenger perspective, BA will build on its record of running 80% of flights during the last strike, and that gives credibility to the statement that it will be able to run 100% of longhaul flights and a substantial proportion of shorthaul. Gatwick and City flights will, as was the case last time, remain unaffected.

BASSA is impotent to impact the operation, it has lost its former ability to influence day to day operations. Now it is turning to the courts to frustrate the company in a vendetta which will harm the paypackets of the other 20,000 employees of the company, and puts at risk the many thousands currently drawing their pension from BA. Sadly, BASSA does not have a good track record of winning in the Courts.

BASSA had an opportunity to settle outstanding legal action, it failed to do so, and BA is now suing Unite for the costs incurred as a consequence of its incompetent recordkeeping, and serial attempts to lead its members into unprotected action without informing them of the risks.

[pixelmeister]

VK

are you certain about some of the elements in your posting ? I was under the impression that the result of Mr Holley’s tribunal case was yet to be announced. Have I missed it ?

You also assert that BA is suing BASSA, again, I am aware that there is a court action filed for March between BA and Unite, but am not aware of one relating to BASSA. Could you clarify ?

[VintageKrug]

You are indeed correct the findings of the latest Tribunal Hearing have yet to be publicly released; anecdotal evidence from those there did not suggest he had a strong case.

My assertion related to the most recent Unfair Dismissal Hearing, published ruling, in June 2010:

—-
Duncan Holley’s application to Watford Employment Tribunal for reinstatement was dismissed today. Holley had applied to be reinstated pending a full hearing of his unfair dismissal claim against BA claiming that the sole or principal reason for his dismissal was his trade union membership and activities. He asked the Tribunal to order the continuation of his employment pending a full hearing of his case. BA claimed that the reason for the dismissal was Holley’s refusal to go to work when rostered on a number of times in December.

Judge Ryan denied the request saying he felt it was more likely than not that BA would demonstrate at trial that Mr Holley’s dismissal was because of his refusal to come to work to perform his rostered duties and his refusal to attend meetings with his manager. Amongst other things he said “The claimant is simply not entitled to take into his own hands the decision whether to work or not”.
—-

You are correct that at present BA is suiing Unite as the umbrella Union of which BASSA is a branch. I have edited my post to make that more explicit.

Nonethless that does not rule BASSA and its officers being liable for a range of actions which may or may not be launched in the near future.

[Alasdair]

“Well under 90,00.” if BASSA has so few members out of 13,500 say, of which 10,000 are those effected by the current duspute – LGW and LCY and NF are to be sidelined, then this is extremely substantial.

Further, if these are the numbers remaining after those who were not willing to partake in securing their future were requested to think twice about their membership, then this is an extremely strong number.

It will be interesting to see the result in the next ballot, which BA has made necessary by its neglect to negotiate.

[craigwatson]

It will be interesting to see how many members are balloted (assuming they finally get the membership records in order), as this will show the current number of members, and we can finally see how far membership has actually fallen.

[VintageKrug]

By its own announced stats, BASSA has less than 9,000 members:

In forming the ballot total in December 2010, Amicus had 1,241 members, Bassa had 8,975, so 10216 were balloted.

It is anecdotally evidenced that several members were sent duplicate ballots, or were sent ballots when they had resigned (months previously) from BASSA, and so those numbers are on the high side.

[pixelmeister]

The figures according to Brian Boyd of Unite (as presented to CC89) were CC89 members 1,241, BASSA have 8,975. That was before the ballot result and fallout from it when the BASSA branch secretary effectively told the 4,465 members who did not support strike action to leave the union. Now, it remains to be seen if these cabin crew took him at his word and walked out of the union. If they did, then Unite will represent less than 50% of the workforce and could be derecognised. What is also clear is that the figures stated by Brian Boyd at a union meeting may themselves be an overstatement as it is becoming clear that the membership records are in a mess with exmembers receiving ballot papers.

For the sake of clarity, there were 5,751 votes in favour of strike action. It is not clear that Unite excluded any members who had been sacked by BA. There is also anecdotal evidence to suggest that some members received more than one ballot paper.

It will be interesting to see if the same number of people support strike action in any forthcoming ballot. Unite assured us that a new ballot date would be announced ‘in the next ten days or so’ It is now ten days since the announcement and still no word. Could it be that they are having second thoughts on the wisdom of continuing this dispute or is it that the membership records are in such a mess that it will take more than 10 days to fix them, or maybe that the Unite leadership realise that between BASSA, CC89 and themselves, they have said so much that it will be impossible to run a ballot that cannot be linked to previous action and thus any resultant action would be unprotected.

[VintageKrug]

Now turning to this ridiculous survey Unite spent thousands of pounds of its members’ subscriptions to produce:

http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/shock_findings_confirm_culture.aspx

And the actual travesty here:

http://www.unitetheunion.org/pdf/002-BA-bullying-survey-Jan11.pdf

Utter tripe; no “majority” were surveyed, just 1,905 of approx. 35,000 BA employees responded – typically rounded up to “2,000” (with no statistically random sample, and certainly no effort made to balance across BA’s different sites as 98.6% of respondants were from Heathrow and also 98.6% of respondants – nearly EVERY SINGLE PERSON – were Unite members).

That means just 26 people who were not Unite members were surveyed.

That’s about 5% of the workforce who bothered to respond, that’s an almost statistically insignificant number on which to base findings.

If the term “bullied” is defined as being properly managed, being required to perform certain duties (such as closing blinds, for instance) or comply with a uniform policy, then yes indeed “bullying” is rife. But it’s the entitlement culture engendered by BASSA which has brought about this culture where being properly managed suggests to people that they are victims of “bullying”.

It’s time for BA managers to manage their people.

There’s so many holes in this survey you could drain pasta in it.

[Alasdair]

So are you saying that those Crew who have screamed foul to their managers/reporting channels that they were “victimised” for not taking part in legal IA is sufficiently covered by your definition of being ‘bullied.”?

I don’t think so, otherwise management have been extremely overzealous with their disciplinaries.

[VintageKrug]

I think a lot of cabin crew haven’t actually read this offer, so it’s relevant to keep posting it:

http://www.uniteba.com/ESW/Files/151010_Revised_Offer_Collectivev6.doc

Unite seem to have taken over managing the BASSA records, though I would expect them to take quite a while to get their house in order, so the ballot which was meant to be announced on Friday will be a while away yet.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on the request for BASSA to release its accounts to its own membership……

[Tete_de_cuvee]

It is rather sad that a businessman finds it necessary to bump his mendacious thread to give it profile….

still

As the offer continues to be posted ad nauseum with a comment that it is fair … readers should be aware that it will not be accepted as

(from a previous post) …

“work to current arrangements” ie agreements broken by BA will stay broken…

yes BA will use ACAS but BA can reject either the arbitrator or may not be bound by the decision….

here is a 2.9% increase (which was not asked for) but no commitment to preserving lucrative routes which are key to alloawances which make up around one third of income….

oh yes .. you agree not to strike so we can then walk all over you because you cannot do anything about it…

BA keeps on spinning

[pixelmeister]

Tete
I think you misunderstand the real nature of what is offered. There are two deals on the table, one to those who are no longer in the union and one for those who for some bizarre reason believe that it is worth whatever they are forking out in dues to remain in the union. The former group offer includes pay rises, guarantees on additional payments, etc. It is only the union deal that includs statements about ACAS.

Now, we know that the union will never accept the deal on offer. Simply put, this is because to do so now would incur so much loss of face that the BASSA branch may as well shut up shop and go home. The BASSA executive have nailed their colours to the mast on this one and pride will not allow them to deviate. So really we are talking about how long it will be before the bulk of cabin crew have become so dissatisfied with the union’s handling that they jack in their membership.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that at present, Unite membership may be slipping below 7,000. In any dispute the key to success for the workforce is staying united. If the figures being bandied about at present are correct, Unite has lost a third of its members in one year. That is unheard of in any labour dispute. The BASSA and CC89 leaders have done more to dismantle their branches than BA have ever done. I can see that there is a real risk that BA might offer the package to non-union members in a couple of months time and find that this group now form the majority of all cabin crew. Once that happens, BASSA’s slide into obscurity will be rapid.

[Alasdair]

Within that ‘fabulous’ revised offer VK ingratiatingly continues to post, there is neither talk of redeployment, evaporation of routes, disruption payments and other T&C’s which have been negotiated between the two bodies in the past. It is widely read by an intelligent crew base, only promptly rejected to the dismay of various contributors.

BA will never be a pleasant company to work for until time is taken to reason with employee groups equally and internal tensions quashed. To forbid your workers to talk openly and honestly about an issue.. This issue of ID, is positively archaic and communist – not democratically British.

Time Keith Williams got this sorted.

[Hippocampus]

Alasdair, Long before the introduction of Mixed Fleet, BASSA has had the opportunity over several months to negotiate with BA the introduction of Mixed Fleet to protect CC earnings (consolidating allowances, matrices of routes and so forth?). Why didn’t BASSA negotiate this with BA? What did BASSA actually do to assess these offers? Why did they reject them out of hand?

What is BASSA actually doing positively to find a settlement (and making completely unrealistic demands such as lifetime contractual guarantees don’t count)?

And how many of even the most militant BASSA members would cut their hands off to go back to the original BA offer that was rejected under a mandate of “No Negotiation” at a tub thumping branch meeting?

– Reduction in crewing levels. Has happened anyway and Unite was unable to present any evidence to the court that they were detrimental to crew. Also allowed many crew to take VR.

– Disruption Agreement Flexibility – Lifting these restrictive practices was long overdue

– Reduced nights downroute on some routes – Could easily be renegotiated for something else.

BASSA and its members have to stop pointing the finger and always blaming somebody else for the situation they find themselves in and always looking to others for answers.

At the current rate of attrition of the BASSA membership (and direction of the oil price) I would start negotiation pretty damn quickly.

[Author]

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