Who is in-charge of BA: the union or BA?

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    DJ_London
    Participant

    I know many of us have a view on the current situation at British Airways’ but I for one sit on the side of confusion, and question, “who is running the airline?” I understand the need for unions and what benefits they bring to members. However, it seems to me that in the case of BA, Unite want to, and seems to think that they run the airline, and this is not right.

    As an employee (in general, not of the airline), I am clearly signing up to work for the company who employs me. Therefore, I expect the company to make the rules and to provide the day-to-day management of the business.

    An example is this. If the airline decides to reduce the number of crew from 15 to 14 on long-haul flights then so be it. Just like if my company chooses to reduce the number of staff in a certain area, they can do it. They do not need to ask for my permission. If this results in redundancies then that’s life. The same goes for terms and conditions of employment. If my company chooses to bring in new employees who do the same job as me on a different contract then who am I to complain or change that. This is how business works. Employees should not use the unions to hold the company to ransom, just because it doesn’t suit them. I can’t do that to the company I work for, so why should Cabin Crew do it to BA?

    From what I have seen and heard, British Airways are not actually going to change the contacts of current employees or indeed take anything away from them. I personally feel the airline has been quite generous and I can see why the management are angry that their colleagues, who they have invested heavily in, are treating the company the way they are. The cabin crew are being incredibly ungrateful.

    I personally think that the crew need to seriously think about the situation they will be in if they do strike, as before long, BA will decide to do away with the crew all together and sign up to the Ryan Air policy of employing crew through an agency. I know BA is all for Customer Service and making a difference to onboard service, but will they opt for that over making cuts where necessary to protect the future of the airline. Of course, they will. Any company would. So, where will that leave the cabin crew? Fighting for a job at the agencies front door.

    As someone who is close to three BA employees, one of them being cabin crew, I know what lengths BA have been to in order to make sure the crew are properly informed and to spell out the changes they wish to make and what the benefits are and are not for the crew. From seeing this, I can’t see why the crew would want to strike, unless they are being persuaded otherwise by the unions or encouraged by rogue colleagues and ‘legacy crew’ who have been working there for more years than we care to remember…. In addition and in agreement with a member of cabin crew, you do not need 15 people (including the CSD) on a long-haul flight. 14 is sufficient if the CSD is willing to muck in and do the job they are there to do, as oppose to sitting in the onboard office (B-747) for the entire flight doing absoutely nothing other than completing paper work that takes no more than an hour. They can easily be part of the team in securing the cabin, doing a trolley service and tidying the kitchen. There is plenty of time to complete the paperwork.

    I do not support either the airline or the union but as an outsider, I find all of this confusing. I just hope there is no strike, as it will cause immense upset for the passengers, who will endure the inconvenience. And for BA they will find that their customer have finally had enough and choose to fly with another airline. If we, the customer, choose to do that, then it will all go downhill from here and the Cabin Crew will only have themselves to blame when BA is no longer here…


    JonathanCohen09
    Participant

    Hi Darren,

    what an interesting post and very well put. I agree with you entirely.

    I wonder what others will make of your thoughts.

    Cheers,

    Jonathan


    dutchyankee
    Participant

    Hi Darren,

    I absolutely agree with you. The short-sightedness of some unions has destroyed other airlines and companies in the past. Somehow, in this case, UNITE have been able to make their members believe losing their jobs all-together by the airline going under is a better solution than having any understanding of the trying times they are in and that slight changes need to be made to safeguard the viability of the business. BA crew are well known to be the best paid in Europe with the best benefits, and yet when times are tough, they are not willing to be realistic. A real shame.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    It’s odd, actually.

    Seems while most of the crew were apparently keen to support IA, they have no say in the timing or duration.

    Rather like jumping over a ledge without knowing how far you have to fall.

    In this case, it appears to have been a cliff face……


    BusinessClass
    Participant

    I also agree with you DarrenJ, I very good post!


    PaulJennings
    Participant

    Very good points all. It often appears that the people running unions are interested only in the people running unions. However, the vote is an indication that staff are upset. Leaving aside the detail of the current situation, if relations have descended to such a low point, it seems unlikely that all the blame can be laid at the foot of one group. Noone has covered themselves in glory here, and noone wins.


    flyingdutchman
    Participant

    Good post indeed. If strike continues, there will probably be NO British Airways anymore in the next year.
    So mr. Walsh, get the message out to prospective strikers :

    You strike ! You do not have to come back in January, because you are fired !!!
    What are the passengers going to do now, family Christmas will be disrupted, because of a few……….


    Tim2soza
    Participant

    Who is in-charge of BA: the union or BA?

    Err, neither… It is the customer. 1million of them will have their own ballot shortly.


    globetraveller360
    Participant

    Every one has forgotten that Its not the union thats running the show or making things difficult for BA but BA have only themselves to blame for all this mess as they have been in trouble for a long time especially with the massive pension deficit…I remember only a few years back that BA only cared about PREMIUM pax and not economy pax and my how things have changed. Well its to late pax have jumped ship ages ago as there is a better choice of airline out there instead of BA. So this thing about blaming the cabin crew for going on strike is an excuse for BA to divert attention away from all the big problems they have…the CC issues is a drop in the ocean.


    omanpat
    Participant

    I am a nurse. I work in a charity funded hospice. I love my job. Our managers cut our night staffing level from 5 nurses to 4 nurses. Suck it up BA cabin crew!


    Charles-P
    Participant

    The Unite union cares little for the passengers of BA, like most large unions they have a political agenda that would rather see all airlines under state control with a fully unionised closed shop workforce. Profit and Loss is outside of their world, State ownership = more money from taxes when needed.

    It’s like the 1970’s all over again

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