[cityprofessional]

Random aside. One side effect of the strike, according to a friend of mine who is a 747 first officer, is that, for whatever reason, flight crew and cabin crew are barely on speaking terms. Nobody talks to one another or has anything to do with each other downroute. Many of the cabin crew are treating the pilots with disdain, and apparently you can cut the atmosphere with a knife. That can never be a good thing when your life is in their hands in an aluminium tube hurtling through the air at 500mph…

Unfortunately, we consumers have a choice, and until the strike threat is lifted, there is no way that I am booking any inflexible advanced BA tickets. Especially given the treatment last time around – i.e. flights not being cancelled until very close to the date (and therefore inability to book alternative arrangements), and then haphazard reductions in on-board service. Why risk it, when the threat of a strike on any of the major Asian or Middle Eastern carriers is next-to-zero?

[AIRBUS215]

It would seem that not only are BASSA out of touch with the feelings of many of the cabin crew they seem to be unaware of time passing …

Take a loook at the BASSA application form on the Bassa web site :

http://www.bassa.co.uk/BASSA/downloads/bassaapplicationform.pdf

It mentions bases in Glasgow and Manchester …
Along with attending “Regular meetings with Rod Eddington” I guess thats wishfull thinking…..

If they cant keep there own PR accurate what chance do they have of providing clear effective communications to the Cabin Crew.

[VintageKrug]

I would risk booking BA because I just don’t see much risk involved in doing so.

I feel it is important to back the company and support its employees, especially during this difficult time.

There is zero risk of ANY strike action whatsoever at Gatwick and London City bases. There is VERY limited risk of strike action at LHR, and with the threat of it being unprotected the numbers who actually come out on strike will be minimal. 100% of Heathrow longhaul will operate throughout any strike, and most shorthaul will have at least one flight per day.

Just as the strike operations improved day by day during the strikes, so the whole summer has allowed BA to put contingency in place.

I am confident there will be no strike, and have booked with BA for several vacation trips, both longhaul and shorthaul, over the next few months, including Christmas.

I am not in the least worried about the threat of a strike, and have put my money where my mouth is, as I did last year over Christmas with inflexible F flights to SYD.

[BusinessTraveller]

Here’s the latest statement from Unite:

UNITE STATEMENT ON BRITISH AIRWAYS OFFER

Unite British Airways cabin crew representatives met Unite general secretary Tony Woodley and assistant general secretary Len McCluskey yesterday (Tuesday) to consider a fresh offer made by the company to end the lengthy dispute.

The offer is the product of prolonged negotiations between the union and British Airways, assisted by the mediation service ACAS and TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.

The representatives agreed to put the offer to a ballot of cabin crew members as soon as possible. No details of the offer will be released until they have been supplied to the membership.

Tony Woodley said today: “Our members, who have shown exemplary solidarity and discipline throughout this long and bitter dispute, will now decide whether this offer meets their requirements. Representatives agreed that it is the best that can be achieved through negotiation in the current climate.”

Len McCluskey added: “Unite has been determined to secure justice for its members throughout these long and complex negotiations. I am proud to have stood alongside these decent, loyal and professional men and women, who will now democratically determine if the agreement on offer provides the basis for the new relationship with BA which we all want to see.”

[VintageKrug]

Sounds a very balanced statement from Unite.

And not a peep from BASSA.

’tis done.

[Flyboy18]

VintageKrug….you seem very sure that this is over and done with….please do not be…..it may say that BA are giving the crew back the staff travel perks…however the seniority on which the staff passengers are loaded onto the aircraft are done by the date you joined the company ( longest first and so on ) ….if you striked, that day will now be today 20 oct 2010. and then you’ll get your full staff travel back in 2013!!…do you really think that crew who have been with BA for any length of time are going to give that up, then you must be kidding yourself…there are also terms and conditions to the staff travel too…this could be all wrapped up if they we and i had my staff travel back in full and was not punished for striking …please don’t think that this is over…ITS NOT!!

[craigwatson]

haha, the problem with your reasoning there is that of the people who went on strike, the lower half in regards to seniority will now move up to the top of the list, so it will be in there interests to accept, so even if the top half vote not to accept, the bottom half may well accept. So when you look at the whole cabin crew, including those who didnt strike, those not in the union and those who did strike, the percentages will be minute for those in favour of continuing industrial action. which pretty much makes them irrelevant.

[VintageKrug]

It is very much over.

Here is the offer made to cabin crew:

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

[Hippocampus]

In terms of any strike action, this dispute is over.

The latest offer (which BASSA has had absolutely no input into and wasn’t even aware was being discussed) was trailed by BASSA as containing significant changes. Yet, fundamentally, it is the same offer as the last one and in some respects comes with more strings attached.

Even if the offer is rejected there will not be time to go through the full ballot process for strike action (which is fraught with legal issues) at Christmas. If strike action is called next year, then 100% of the LHR long haul schedule will operate and the impact on LHR short-haul will probably be no more than the equivalent of a bit of fog or heavy rain at LHR.

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

scott72 – if you don’t like the conditions offered by your employer, then do the decent thing and resign! That way your position can be taken by someone who actually wants to work for BA and serve its customers.

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Interesting proposal, although nothing new really… I cant wait to see the results of the ballot…
I do worry about those poor VCC flying over a christmas strike because I don’t think it’s going to be a resounding Yes vote from crew I am afraid.

BA want unite to drop all legal cases… that alone tells me they have something to hide…

[Hippocampus]

It is perfectly standard to require all litigation to be dropped as part of a settlement agreement, the point of which is to draw a line under the dispute and move forward. Litigation is expensive and time consuming. Bearing in mind the track record of Unite so far in the courts, I don’t see BA having much to worry about even if the court cases continue.

BASSA supporters can sabre rattle about Christmas strikes but Unite has not authorised a ballot and it takes six weeks to go through the whole process from giving notice of the ballot to actual strike dates. Pointing the finger at others is a common theme of BASSA supporters. I understand cabin crew are allowed to travel with their families when working at Christmas so the chance to get a break with their families over Christmas may be a welcome break from Christmas in the UK. Cabin crew also seem to have forgotten the public backlash when BASSA called a strike last Christmas.

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Hippocampus: You’re right! So basically BA Cabin crew are already so disliked by ‘the public’ because of the actions they have nothing to worry about 🙂

And correct me if I am wrong, but there are >6 weeks until christmas? (Otherwise I need to get out and start my christmas shopping) so there is plenty of time, if they choose that route.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not want to see a strike at christmas, like everyone else, but after this loooong dispute I do not think this deal is going to be enough.

Just my thoughts.

[VintageKrug]

I don’t think the length of any dispute should have a bearing on the size of the compromise; if anything history has proven that the longer the dispute, the less staff should expect in terms of a settlement.

If this latest deal (which incorporates an up to 3% PAY RISE this year AND NEXT for goodness sake!) is not accepted by Cabin Crew, then there is no deal which would ever be acceptable to those cabin crew; it would be better they looked elsewhere for employment.

1. There is no time for a proper ballot to be administered in time for a Christmas strike, once you take into account notice periods and verification

2. The strike would have minimal effect on BA; it is simply no longer a threat

3. Striking would lose hard won elements of the latest deal for ever, not open opportunity for future discussion

4. Any crewmember who did withdraw their labour would be legally unprotected from dismissal by BA

I don’t think it’s right to say BA Cabin Crew are disliked by the public at all; what is disliked is their hardline militant BASSA leaders who accept £1.9m (approx.) per annum in Union subs, and have failed to represent the interests of the wider cabin crew community or understand the changing needs of the travelling public.

I would agree with you ComeFlyWithMe that there remain elements for whom nothing less than the re-instatement of the BASSA leadership, full staff travel with seniority and a return to controlling day to day operations on both existing and Mixed Fleet would be the ONLY acceptable solution.

The trouble is, their argument is bankrupt, their strongest bargaining tool is worthless, and they simply have been sidelined in negotiations by Unite.

To some extent there is a case to be made for “strike and be damned”.

At least then those who truly have no willingness or ability to engage in rational and pragmatic business-minded debate, or compromise, could be easily identified and removed from the airline.

That would leave those who do want to make a go of it to deliver the great customer service we expect from BA and help steer the airline to a profitable and successful future, without the poisonous industrial relations BASSA has inflicted on the company.

BASSA has achieved less than zero in terms of their original demands; they haven’t been involved in negotiations for over a year.

What I find difficult to comprehend is why at least 8,000 BA cabin crew still send subs (not sure but I think it’s £16/month?) to this sorry shower.

If they were my representatives I would be resigning and seeking return of subs, as well as damages for misrepresentation, misinformation and failure to carry out stated responsibilities.

[ComeFlyWithMe]

On many points you are right VK – but I have to disagree with you on others.

I believe the threat of a strike over christmas was a big factor in WW and TW returning to the table to discuss a deal. BA may claim they will cope, but I am not so sure. I suspect WW realises that he may not be able to deliver on flying 100% of the longhaul operation.

I would love to know what an acceptable solution is the the majority of ‘average’ cabin crew member?

Sadly I think the egos of WW and TW have taken over in this dispute – which is a real shame and I think WW underestimated the spirit of the crew community… he told the city it would be dealt with months ago.. yet they are still in dispute.

I wait with anticipation for the cabin crew poll result….

[Author]

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