Why do we hate Unions? Look at BA...

Degenerate

baileysbattlebus wrote: »

Can't post a link - sorry - but here is the judgement.

There are 2 reasons given - the 2nd one is interesting -

(1) There were breaches of technical statutory requirements by Unite. Unite could not rely on the defence under s.232(b) of the Act, and nor could it say that it had taken such steps as were reasonably practicable for the purposes of s.227, s226A and s.234A.
Unite was in possession of information concerning employees who had volunteered for redundancy. In the light of that information it was aware, or ought to have been aware, that the figures provided to BA included those who opted for voluntary redundancy and thus included Unite's members who were not entitled to vote. It was practicable and reasonable to enquire as to which members were leaving BA's employment.

Unite had never issued instructions to members about not voting if they were leaving BA's employment by the relevant date, despite having had opportunities to do so.
Further, there was insufficient evidence that any inaccuracy in the information provided was due to intransigency on BA's part. Evidence showed that Unite was clearly on notice that its figures were inaccurate and that the balloting process was flawed.

(2) The balance of convenience lay in favour of granting the injunction sought by BA. Damages were not an adequate remedy for BA and the a strike over the 12 days of Christmas was fundamentally more damaging to BA and the wider public than a strike taking place at almost any other time of the year.

Application granted.

Being a preliminary injunction, it's not a decision on the legality of the strike itself, but whether there is a case to answer, and whether the strike should be postponed until that legal argument can be settled in a full court hearing.

Point (1) is basically saying that there is a case to answer, and point (2) that the strike should be postponed because if it went ahead and was subsequently held to be illegal, damages would be insufficient to compensate BA. Unite's resources obviously couldn't come close to paying for the damage it would do, whereas Unite suffer relatively little from delaying the strike until a full court hearing can settle the matter.

As regards the final outcome, I suspect Unite would win the argument because, as others have said, the massive majority in favour of the strike means the minor irregularities will not have affected the outcome. It will likely never go to court though, as it is cheaper and more expedient to simply re-ballot. I'll be interested to see the result - I heard that many of the union members who voted in favour of the strike were expecting one-day walkouts outside of the holiday period, and were horrified when it was announced as 12 days over Christmas with the resulting public backlash.

Wookster

I'm due to fly BA on 23/12 and I'm quite tempted to ask members of the cabin crew if they'd be happier working for Ryanair after BA go bust as I leave the plane.

Naughty eh!

bristol_pilot

I find that I can't quite make up my mind on whether BA cabin staff are overpaid or not. On the one hand £29k-£35k for a glorified waiter with 2 GCSEs seems a lot...then again, tbh I wouldn't want to try to live on that IN LONDON.

I'm also unclear on who the hell flies BA anyway these days. I travel quite a bit and BA always seem to be the most expensive option of the available airlines. Maybe it's all business traffic or packages.

lostinrates

bristol_pilot wrote: »

I find that I can't quite make up my mind on whether BA cabin staff are overpaid or not. On the one hand £29k-£35k for a glorified waiter with 2 GCSEs seems a lot...then again, tbh I wouldn't want to try to live on that IN LONDON.

I'm also unclear on who the hell flies BA anyway these days. I travel quite a bit and BA always seem to be the most expensive option of the available airlines. Maybe it's all business traffic or packages.

I last flew BA in about 2002.

DH sometimes flies BA for work. Flights are often booked very close to departure, and the key issue is often time of flight rather than price.

donaldtramp

Yup the Unite Union will "protect" BA cabin crew all the way to the dole queue with this strike.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8422693.stm

A full and comprehensive investigation should be carried out into the collapse of the Flyglobespan airline, Scotland's finance secretary has said.
Thousands of passengers were stranded abroad and 550 staff were made redundant when the airline called in the administrators on Wednesday.

It's your choice BA cabin crew, either accept the best T'c and C's in the industry or put yourselves out of a job. It would seem a no-brainer to me. But unfortunately you seem to be listening to the lefty militant halfwits in charge of Unite.

londondealer

I am BA cabin crew and I would ask the crew bashers on here to at least keep an open mind. You are believing what you are reading and hearing in the media - since when did anyone believe everything they had to say!

By the way did you know that Elvis is still alive and working in a kebab takeaway in Green Lanes? According to the Daily Mail anyway so it must be true.

Jake'sGran

abaxas wrote: »

LOL!

Employment law is stacked in favour of the employee.

Not true!!! I used to wnder why employers would risk being taken to tribunal
when a sacking was patently wrong but it was because the cost to them if the employee won was incidental if they achieved their aim in reducing staff or for any other cruel reason. I have never been sacked but I have worked for some awful employers.

StevieJ

bristol_pilot wrote: »

I find that I can't quite make up my mind on whether BA cabin staff are overpaid or not. On the one hand £29k-£35k for a glorified waiter with 2 GCSEs seems a lot...then again, tbh I wouldn't want to try to live on that IN LONDON.

I'm also unclear on who the hell flies BA anyway these days. I travel quite a bit and BA always seem to be the most expensive option of the available airlines. Maybe it's all business traffic or packages.

I very occasionally fly BA, Manchester - London, price pretty reasonable, a few years back I travelled on Virgin trains, first class to London, I am sure it cost over £200, the heating wasn't working and it was a freezing winters morning, horrendous :eek:

StevieJ

londondealer wrote: »

I am BA cabin crew and I would ask the crew bashers on here to at least keep an open mind. You are believing what you are reading and hearing in the media - since when did anyone believe everything they had to say!

By the way did you know that Elvis is still alive and working in a kebab takeaway in Green Lanes? According to the Daily Mail anyway so it must be true.

Watch out for that Wookster and his clever and funny one liners :rolleyes:

I'm due to fly BA on 23/12 and I'm quite tempted to ask members of the cabin crew if they'd be happier working for Ryanair after BA go bust as I leave the plane.

Naughty eh! :rotfl:I am sure the cabin crew will be rolling in the isles.

donaldtramp

I am BA cabin crew and I would ask the crew bashers on here to at least keep an open mind. You are believing what you are reading and hearing in the media - since when did anyone believe everything they had to say!

I have kept an open mind. I've read articles from across the full spectrum of newspapers. Quite frankly I believe what I read in the papers/watch on the TV MUCH more than the militant, left wing, lunacy union speak from Unite.
Yup keep making the decision to strike and watch as your employer crumbles around you.
I've currently got 10s of thousands of BA miles and fly long haul all over the world with them (sometimes twice a month). I like and usually choose BA, but I am sick of the lunacy of Unite and the greed of the air waitresses who are already overpaid for what they do. How can you possibly justify striking in the current climate when companies all over are laying people off? My company laid off hundreds recently. Did they try to bring the company down in a militant left wing gun to the head type of way? No they just went on their way and tried for other jobs.

I got wind of a strike brewing a month or so ago and promptly booked my 4 long haul holiday flights in December with Air France/KLM. I won't be the only one...
So you have already hurt the company that pays your bills.
Congratulations Unite. Way to go.