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

The_White_Horse

the problem has been easyjet and ryanair allowing the subclasses to fly.

the cheapest fare should 500GBP and lets have flying as exclusive again.

Spartacus_Mills

Treadmill wrote: »

I fully support the strikers at BA, the management are the ones that want sacking, they are useless.

Thank you for that thoughtful, in depth, detailed and reasoned analysis of the plight of BA.

Very insightful.

RobertoMoir

Afriend wrote: »

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe you're not French.

I'm confused. So if you're saying that the french farmers strike, and that farmers shouldn't strike because we'll all starve, then why aren't all the french dead of starvation? It seems your analogy is a little flawed.

wolvoman

nearlynew wrote: »

.......I don't give a f*ck for anyone .......

So it would seem.

Thrugelmir

kennyboy66 wrote: »

And as their terns of their job are being significantly changed they are also entitled to withdraw their labour.

You make not like it but thats the current law.

Even the most 'simple-minded' should be able to understand that.

BA is an international business competing in a very competitive market.

All customers will care about is reliability of service.

This may be the final straw for BA. Personally I would never risk booking a long haul flight again with them, if the strike goes ahead. However good their standard of service is.

The reasons behind the proposed merger and the basing of operational headquarters in Spain makes perfect sense.

The Unite official on the radio last night did himself no favours either. As to why the Xmas period was choosen. Other than to reinforce the view its for maximum inconveniance to passengers. Took me back to the days of 70's.

carolt

I totally believe they have a right to strike.

Clearly shooting themselves in the foot, though, in terms of killing off their company.

But presumably they can work that one out. So it seems a little silly..but their choice.

Mutton_Geoff

the cheapest fare should 500GBP and lets have flying as exclusive again

It will be when oil starts running out/costing $200 a barrel in 10 years time.

JasonLVC

Its all posturing.

Concessions will be made, certain cut backs will be scaled back or dropped, other technicalities such as working hours will be fudged over....the strikes will be called off beforehand or after a few days into them.....but the damage will already have been done.

The underlying problems will still remain and Willie Wonka will sit with fingers crossed just hoping the recession will end real soon and then the problems will go away (but still be there, awaiting the next recession). Unite will be happy, Willie will be happy again.

markharding557

I don't hate unions,they have an important role to play .
It is a fact that companies without unions have worse condidtions than those that do,if more people were in them maybe so many would not be doing overtime for free or being fired for any old reason.
On this paticular strike,given the companies debt i think they(ba staff)should compromise

kennyboy66_2

Thrugelmir wrote: »

BA is an international business competing in a very competitive market.

All customers will care about is reliability of service.

This may be the final straw for BA. Personally I would never risk booking a long haul flight again with them, if the strike goes ahead. However good their standard of service is.

The reasons behind the proposed merger and the basing of operational headquarters in Spain makes perfect sense.

The Unite official on the radio last night did himself no favours either. As to why the Xmas period was choosen. Other than to reinforce the view its for maximum inconveniance to passengers. Took me back to the days of 70's.

My point was in response to the seemingly prevalent view on here, that if the employees don't like any changes to their T & C's they should !!!! off somewhere else.

The relative cost base has been an issue with BA for years and years, but the management has been particularly inept at addressing it until we get to this late stage.
They should have been chipping away at it each year, even when BA made almost £900 million in 2007/2008.

BA only has a future long term if business class traffic increases - they can't compete on short haul or economy. Economy just fills the plane and short haul services Heathrow as a hub.

The only other strike option the Union has is to leave it January when the impact will be more severe on business travellers, which might not be as unpopular with the public, but would arguably have worse consequences.

It is a pretty high risk "game" that both sides are playing but its pretty rare to see poor union behaviour without also seeing utterly incompetent management behaviour at the same time.