Are the Turkeys about to vote for Xmas ?

Spartacus_Mills

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/6803836/British-Airways-strike-vote-threatens-Christmas-chaos.html

More than 12,000 cabin crew, who are members of the Unite trade union, have been balloted on whether to strike in protest at the airline's cost cutting plans.

A yes vote would pave the way for industrial action at any time from December 21, creating havoc for both the airline and passengers during one of the busiest weeks of the year.



Last year the airline carried 1.6 million people over the Christmas break with long haul destinations, such as New York in particularly strong demand.

Any industrial action would mean the cancellation of flights, wrecking passengers' travel plans.

When flights are cancelled BA would normally offer a refund, travel at an alternative date or where possible rebook customers on another carrier.
But this could turn into a frantic scramble for the few available seats at a time when holidaymakers' numbers are swelled by several hundred thousand people who are going home to see their families.

Even if cabin crew stop short of an all-out strike, any industrial action will still cause huge damage to the airline's operations.

It would leave planes and crew in the wrong place, triggering a wave of further cancellations and delays even on days when industrial is not taking place.

BA was on the verge of a strike in February 2007, with a walkout only averted by a last minute deal with the workforce.

This dispute centres on the plans by the airline, which lost £292 million in the first half of the year, to overhaul working practices.
Any industrial action at Christmas would be far more damaging to BA than it would have been two years ago when it was due to take place during one of the quieter periods.

Feelings have been running high among rank and file staff over what they say has been the imposition of new contracts.

However Willie Walsh, BA's chief executive, has said that the airline is facing a fight for survival at a time when the aviation industry as a whole has faced its worst crisis since September 11.

I cannot see any justification for this strike, assuming it gets the green light. BA is in serious trouble facing competition from cheap carriers and unable to respond to the changing marketplace in air travel. They have to make savings to remain viable. It is as simple as that.

JasonLVC

Well Globespan, the Scottish airline, are in Administration and we've already seen a few budget airlines go to the wall this year as well.

Coventry airport is now officially dead and the airlines are changing the airports they fly from (ie, Easyjet moving out of East Midlands and partially from Luton, Ryanair doing the same), then it is quite clear that the airline industry, in general, is struggling.

The changes that the BA board want to impose are not all good changes and so I can see why the staff would want to strike, but at the same time, I think the unions are relying on BA being a 'national' carrier and the government never letting it go to the wire....however, with the environment top of the agenda and the cash already gone to the bankers, I suspect the bluff gambit the union wish to play may backfire on them.

....plus, suprise surprise....the union want to strike during the busiest time for the airline, the only time the airline may actually make a buck or two.

kennyboy66_2

BA's pension deficit is £3.7 billion.

It's market capitalisation is £2.3 billion.

A large part of the employees pensions are now under written by the government (ie taxpayer), perhaps the unions minds would be more concentrated if the pensions were really at risk.

BA management is awful however. A mate missed his flight on saturday and was put on standby. When he asked (a senior manager, who happened to be walking the floor for a change), how many people were on standby - he was told "can't tell you because of data protection laws". What a laughable excuse.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Spartacus_Mills wrote: »

I cannot see any justification for this strike.

Mortgage, utilities, food....

Calculate the above expenditure.

Find job with salary to suit.

Employer wants to cut package.

Cant pay mortgage, heat home or eat.




There you go.

I just gave you the justification.

Spartacus_Mills

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Mortgage, utilities, food....

Calculate the above expenditure.

Find job with salary to suit.

Employer wants to cut package.

Cant pay mortgage, heat home or eat.




There you go.

I just gave you the justification.

That is no justification at all. It is utter nonsense to claim all of these people are that close to the breadline.

What their levels of expenditure are really are no concern of the employer. What matters is what is a fair rate for the job in a competitive marketplace. Nothing to stop them finding other work if their abilities mean they can obtain the requisite salary.

JasonLVC

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Mortgage, utilities, food....

Calculate the above expenditure.
Find job with salary to suit.
Employer wants to cut package.
Cant pay mortgage, heat home or eat.

I agree that it is unfair for an employer to suddenly cut an employees pay - but at the same time, perhaps the employees have taken just a little too much over the years, expect too much and now it is payback time?.

Micheal O'Leary, quoted back in October this year :-

"O’Leary criticized BA for only wanting to save £2.7 million a year off the £6.5 million annual food subsidy bill it offers staff, instead of going the whole hog and cutting out such costs altogether. He says he’s one of the few people to stand up to unions and would tell staff to “f**k off and buy your own meals”.

So some of the problems at BA stem from over-generous perks that drain the business of cash (although I accept £6.5m is a drop in the ocean when you are losing £500m a year). Now I'm not saying they should go the RyanAir way (god help us) but maybe the workforce need to accept cuts during the difficult times and accept that those perks are never coming back, even when profits return in years to come.

michaels

If they only lost £500m this year it would be a miracle. - More likely 3x

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Spartacus_Mills wrote: »

That is no justification at all. It is utter nonsense to claim all of these people are that close to the breadline.

What their levels of expenditure are really are no concern of the employer. What matters is what is a fair rate for the job in a competitive marketplace. Nothing to stop them finding other work if their abilities mean they can obtain the requisite salary.

& what they earn has nothing to do with what another airline pays. They took a role on conditions. Those conditions must be honoured or given up by agreement.


& by the way, if your not on the breadline go & give the balance back to your employer.. Then I might take notice of what you write.

jamespir

its just pure greed thats all there already the highest paid staff in the airport business

you dont see virgin having strikes beacasue theyre getting 14 grand less

Spartacus_Mills

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

& what they earn has nothing to do with what another airline pays. They took a role on conditions. Those conditions must be honoured or given up by agreement.


& by the way, if your not on the breadline go & give the balance back to your employer.. Then I might take notice of what you write.

What on earth does that have to do with it ?

I am not at the moment, I am doing rather well actually, but earlier in my career I have certainly eked out a meagre existence. I did not expect my employer to fund my lifestyle. I got a second job and worked for it.

Spartacus_Mills

JasonLVC wrote: »

I agree that it is unfair for an employer to suddenly cut an employees pay - but at the same time, perhaps the employees have taken just a little too much over the years, expect too much and now it is payback time?.

Micheal O'Leary, quoted back in October this year :-

"O’Leary criticized BA for only wanting to save £2.7 million a year off the £6.5 million annual food subsidy bill it offers staff, instead of going the whole hog and cutting out such costs altogether. He says he’s one of the few people to stand up to unions and would tell staff to “f**k off and buy your own meals”.

So some of the problems at BA stem from over-generous perks that drain the business of cash (although I accept £6.5m is a drop in the ocean when you are losing £500m a year). Now I'm not saying they should go the RyanAir way (god help us) but maybe the workforce need to accept cuts during the difficult times and accept that those perks are never coming back, even when profits return in years to come.

There is also nothing to stop them changing the terms and the contracts offered for all new employees and not impacting the current employees to protect the future.