British Airways cabin crew vote for Christmas strike

[Kymmy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8414306.stm

British Airways is to take legal action to try to prevent a cabin crew strike set to begin on 22 December.

[Osem]

I really can't understand the logic of ths BA staff threatening to strike. The entire industry is in the doldrums, their employer's losing money almost as fast as the B of E is printing it and has a massive pension defecit and yet they still feel it's the right course of action to further erode customer confidence in BA.

[LondonRoad]

It seems there are no BA cabin crew on CF to defend their overwhelming vote to strike.

I'd imagine that if i was a fully paid up member of a trade union I'd expect my union to resist my pay being cut (up to 30% in some cases) whilst the management still get million pound bonuses.

I'd be pretty disappointed if my Employer wanted to impose changes without any negotiation or input from my chosen representative, the Trade Union.

I'd be more than a bit peeved if my genuine concerns that the Health and Safety of the travelling public could be comprimised were totally ignored by the management.

I'd be wondering why I was paying my union dues if my Union didn't offer me the chance to withdraw my labour in protest at the arrogant stance of the management in refusing to talk to it's own workforce.

As a customer I'd be wondering why the management didn't at least consider the genuine and viable proposal presented it by my Union.

I suppose when you've got the reputation of being a Union basher and you've got a press that is happy to union bash at every possible moment, you don't really have to give such considerations.

[ntluser]

BA clearly have financial problems and need to cut expenditure but doing it by reducing staff is not helpful as it affects the quality of their service and a strike will worsen the situation.

If the situation is really bad then the management staff need to take a big cut in salary and workers need to take a much smaller one. In that way, expenditure is reduced and BA still remains competitive allowing the company to continue to generate income.

Let's bear in mind that it is management who took the decisions which led to the company being in the state it is in.

Putting people out of work solves nothing and in the interest of keeping the company going it does seem that a bit of common sense and compromise is in order.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by LondonRoad

It seems there are no BA cabin crew on CF to defend their overwhelming vote to strike.

I'd imagine that if i was a fully paid up member of a trade union I'd expect my union to resist my pay being cut (up to 30% in some cases) whilst the management still get million pound bonuses.

I'd be pretty disappointed if my Employer wanted to impose changes without any negotiation or input from my chosen representative, the Trade Union.

I'd be more than a bit peeved if my genuine concerns that the Health and Safety of the travelling public could be comprimised were totally ignored by the management.

I'd be wondering why I was paying my union dues if my Union didn't offer me the chance to withdraw my labour in protest at the arrogant stance of the management in refusing to talk to it's own workforce.

As a customer I'd be wondering why the management didn't at least consider the genuine and viable proposal presented it by my Union.

I suppose when you've got the reputation of being a Union basher and you've got a press that is happy to union bash at every possible moment, you don't really have to give such considerations.

about time someone posted some sense instead of the usual be great-full you have a job drivel .

its a strike not the end of the world ,and a strike is always the last resort of any workforce ,try blaming bad management .

[sherer]

this does make me think that maybe the Unions have had their day. As others have said the company is losing money hand over fist and this is the only course of action they can take to keep going. I have had a pay freeze for a few years and just have to accept it. I'd rather a pay freeze than no money at all and can see the business sense of it.

The Unions just want to flex their muscles and justify their subs and existance if they had any sense they would just have to accept that BA are in trouble and need to make cuts

[Osem]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

its a strike not the end of the world ,and a strike is always the last resort of any workforce, try blaming bad management.

Well that's all very well but BA's customers pay the bills and losing more of them than BA already has to its cheaper rivals seems an utter nonsense right now. I'm not sure all those whose plans are going to be disrupted by this action (if it happens) care who's to blame.

[nomadking]

In November, BA reduced the number of cabin crew on long haul flights from 15 to 14 and introduced a two-year pay freeze

The airline has also proposed new contracts for fresh recruits and newly-promoted staff. These include a single on-board management grade, no seniority, promotion on merit, and pay set at market rate plus 10%.

Where is the 30% salary cut?
Hardly a huge cut in staffing and if that makes it a Health & Safety issue, that hardly says much about the remaining 14 cabin crew.
Any revised contracts are for new contracts, not existing ones. If new employees are going to be on a lower salary that doesn't affect any of the existing employees.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

about time someone posted some sense instead of the usual be great-full you have a job drivel .

its a strike not the end of the world ,and a strike is always the last resort of any workforce ,try blaming bad management .

Personally i blame a bad union for letting it get this far. But hey at least the union bosses will have a job after the BA staff lose there's so all is not lost for the union

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by LondonRoad

It seems there are no BA cabin crew on CF to defend their overwhelming vote to strike.

I'd imagine that if i was a fully paid up member of a trade union I'd expect my union to resist my pay being cut (up to 30% in some cases) whilst the management still get million pound bonuses.

I'd be pretty disappointed if my Employer wanted to impose changes without any negotiation or input from my chosen representative, the Trade Union.

I'd be more than a bit peeved if my genuine concerns that the Health and Safety of the travelling public could be comprimised were totally ignored by the management.

I'd be wondering why I was paying my union dues if my Union didn't offer me the chance to withdraw my labour in protest at the arrogant stance of the management in refusing to talk to it's own workforce.

As a customer I'd be wondering why the management didn't at least consider the genuine and viable proposal presented it by my Union.

I suppose when you've got the reputation of being a Union basher and you've got a press that is happy to union bash at every possible moment, you don't really have to give such considerations.

Yep and they could have had a strike at ANY time of their choosing..So what do they do?Choose a time that wouldn't make people think they were a bunch of cynical manipulators?No of course not.

They pick a time that will give them maximum publicity,maximum irritation to BA customers,cost BA dearly(after all travel costs rise drastically during seasonal periods like Christmas) and think we the public should support them?When the railway workers chose Christmas in recent years we all got teed off then.Why should this be any different?

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Yep and they could have had a strike at ANY time of their choosing..So what do they do?Choose a time that wouldn't make people think they were a bunch of cynical manipulators?No of course not.

They pick a time that will give them maximum publicity,maximum irritation to BA customers,cost BA dearly(after all travel costs rise drastically during seasonal periods like Christmas) and think we the public should support them?When the railway workers chose Christmas in recent years we all got teed off then.Why should this be any different?

yet millions still travel by train - and why would anyone in a dispute pick a time that is convenient to there employer ?

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

yet millions still travel by train - and why would anyone in a dispute pick a time that is convenient to there employer ?

Possibly because they have no choice about how they travel?Also whose really inconvenienced..the public and why should we be the ones to pay the fecking price?How many of the public will lose out financially because of this?BA workers(and train workers) get their pay rise and those who have been inconvenienced will have to pay higher travel costs in the future.

There are ways to strike so that you make a point without losing the respect of those whose support you seek...

I so hope that BA stick to their guns this time..or there won't be any BA in the near future..Then see how BA cabin crew like working for the likes of Easyjet or Ryan Air...

Originally Posted by webcrawler2050

No wonder why the economy is the way it is. I am sick to death of people striking in this country, we seem to be world class in striking. People, shutup do your job, get on with it. Thats not directed at people here, BA staff

Back to the good ol' days of the sweatshop and kids up chimneys hey ?
Recession is no excuse for workers democratic rights to be ignored, it is all very well commenting on here or elsewhere against taking action when the ones taking the swipes are not directly involved, ie; not working for the company involved.
No doubt the boss of BA will still be ok over the festive season.
There are two sides to every story.

---------- Post added at 08:32 ---------- Previous post was at 08:30 ----------

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Possibly because they have no choice about how they travel?Also whose really inconvenienced..the public and why should we be the ones to pay the fecking price?How many of the public will lose out financially because of this?BA workers(and train workers) get their pay rise and those who have been inconvenienced will have to pay higher travel costs in the future.

There are ways to strike so that you make a point without losing the respect of those whose support you seek...

I so hope that BA stick to their guns this time..or there won't be any BA in the near future..Then see how BA cabin crew like working for the likes of Easyjet or Ryan Air...

Maggy, what are the ways to strike that you speak of that does not involve someone getting uppety about it?
We're all guilty of looking after number one in this country, and who is to blame for that?

[Chris]

Oooo, let me guess, let me guess, it's all Maggie's fault isn't it!

[ntluser]

If the BA management and the unions do not resolve this amicably there may not be a BA to work for in which case everyone will be in the same boat -unemployed.