MSE News: British Airways stalls on strike-affected flight refunds

lolarosegem

I am british airways cabin crew of 15 years standing, long haul route's and I can assure you that i earn nowhere near £29000. My last year p60 was £17,820.
I have two small children and i have not been at home for christmas for 7 (Yes you read that properly ) 7 years!!!
British Airways have taken 3 crew off the aircraft, they have taken my terms and conditions and ripped them up. They have taken away all chance of future promotion.
No more promotion ever on current contracts.

They have made crew demotivated and miserable.
We spend easters, family birthdays, christmas and special occasions away from home year in, year out.

We are now so exhausted that we genuinely worry that we are not as safe as we could be. Contrary to popular belief crew are not on board to serve drinks and meals, but for your safety. If worse came to worse on a flight wouldn't you prefer that the people responsible for your safety (remember we are the onboard firemen, nurses, doctors etc) could stand up and weren't so jetlagged they couldn't think straight?

I take it those of you who are criticising ba crew, don't believe in workers being able to take strike action ever? Or if you believe workers can strike, when should we strike? When it doesn't affect anyone at all. Well that would really have the company shaking in it's boots wouldnt' it?

I do feel sorry for anyone who has a ruined christmas, but i have been looking after passengers and ruining my families christmases for over 15 years to do a job i was proud to do, enjoyed and paid ok, yes just ok.

How many of you can step beyond the media soundbites and see that this is real people who are losing all their rights and are scared and worried for all their future Christmases. Criticising them because you may be having one 'ruined' christmas is selfish in the extreme.

For your information British Airways most certainly can 'call off the strike' Tony Woodley has made that offer today. Stop the impositions he made on november 16th (i.e. put the crew members back on board) and we will instantly stop the strike.
Mr Walsh (CEO of BA) reply. We are ready for the strike, bring it on.:mad:

ALIBOBSY

To the crew memeber I think most of us can sympathise when management start imposing new terms and conditions and pushing more and more work onto staff etc etc (I think all of us have been there). But Christmas is different to ANY other time of year. You could cause just as much hassle and trouble with a strike say at easter or during the summer (would make the same impact with managment). To do it at Christmas is cruel and seems to be deliberately causing heartache for many people.
Alot of people ONLY see family once a year at Christmas, presumably you do get to see family at other points during the year.

Also MANY other jobs work over christmas, easter etc etc. So thats no excuse.

Also as a little note you say your P60 listed a salary just short of £18k, many would consider this to be a good salary, but what is your ACTUAL yearly salary as the P60 figure can be reduced if there is a company pension. If you are getting a company pension your actual salary is more like say £20k?

ali x

penny_simpson

I am ex cabin crew but gave up once I had a family to care for.

We had it good. Good pay, good conditions, featherbedding compared to other airlines and a nice life. If you don't like being away from home, give up the job. There is never any shortage of applicants.

You BA staff need to face the fact that it's been great working for the airline for years with terms and conditions other airlines could only dream off. Now, if the national carrier is to survive, and your jobs with it, things must change. Okay, you may need to get your hands dirty on flights and work as hard as they do on other airlines. Just give thanks for all the years you had it good and wise up to current economic conditions. Can you imagine what passengers are going to be like for you in the future if you strike over Christmas? Your union leaders are out of their tiny minds and you must all be sheep to follow them. This is just like Arthur Scargill and the miners with the one difference that the miners were hard working fools. You have had it good. Get with the times and get back to work.

Oh, and stop wingeing. People in the country are bleeding but not for you.

lolarosegem wrote: »

I am british airways cabin crew of 15 years standing, long haul route's and I can assure you that i earn nowhere near £29000. My last year p60 was £17,820.
I have two small children and i have not been at home for christmas for 7 (Yes you read that properly ) 7 years!!!
British Airways have taken 3 crew off the aircraft, they have taken my terms and conditions and ripped them up. They have taken away all chance of future promotion.
No more promotion ever on current contracts.

They have made crew demotivated and miserable.
We spend easters, family birthdays, christmas and special occasions away from home year in, year out.

We are now so exhausted that we genuinely worry that we are not as safe as we could be. Contrary to popular belief crew are not on board to serve drinks and meals, but for your safety. If worse came to worse on a flight wouldn't you prefer that the people responsible for your safety (remember we are the onboard firemen, nurses, doctors etc) could stand up and weren't so jetlagged they couldn't think straight?

I take it those of you who are criticising ba crew, don't believe in workers being able to take strike action ever? Or if you believe workers can strike, when should we strike? When it doesn't affect anyone at all. Well that would really have the company shaking in it's boots wouldnt' it?

I do feel sorry for anyone who has a ruined christmas, but i have been looking after passengers and ruining my families christmases for over 15 years to do a job i was proud to do, enjoyed and paid ok, yes just ok.

How many of you can step beyond the media soundbites and see that this is real people who are losing all their rights and are scared and worried for all their future Christmases. Criticising them because you may be having one 'ruined' christmas is selfish in the extreme.

For your information British Airways most certainly can 'call off the strike' Tony Woodley has made that offer today. Stop the impositions he made on november 16th (i.e. put the crew members back on board) and we will instantly stop the strike.
Mr Walsh (CEO of BA) reply. We are ready for the strike, bring it on.:mad:

jetlaga380

In all actions which we take, there are consequences. I fully support the right of BA cabin crew to take any action which they deem fit and they should so so quite rightly - if they are taking a considered view. But it does send a clear message about the mentality at the moment.

The pilots association seems to have taken a more pragmatic view and come to a reasonable agreement with BA which takes into account all the consequences and potential long term downside to the Company which is currently struggling for survival and trying to finalise a merger deal which would safeguard it and all the jobs.

Personally, I think that it is sheer madness to take this action at a point in time which will cause maximum damage to the reputation of cabin crew staff. What sort of message does this give about the cabin crew's committment to customer service? - and to the future of the Company

I fly internationally a great deal and am currently booking my international flight schedule for the first quarter of 2010. In the current environment, I just can't risk booking with BA so will not be doing so.

Come on everyone, get real. Just because you have the right to do something does not mean that you are right to do it.

It will be sad to see BA dissappear, but I guess that the winners at the end of the day will be it's major competitors who will relish the downsizing of capacity which will result.

datostar

jetlaga380 wrote: »

It will be sad to see BA dissappear, but I guess that the winners at the end of the day will be it's major competitors who will relish the downsizing of capacity which will result.

If this strike goes ahead it will probably be the beginning of the end for BA. The Union should take a look at the example of their French comrades working for Seafrance Ferries. Constant disruption and strikes have lost them massive amounts of business as the company is no longer trusted to provide a predictable and reliable service. The company is expected to run out of funds completely by mid-February. Although technically State owned, EU rules may prevent too much help from that quarter.

Numpty_Monkey

As a side issue

Hope you remove the mention of Kayak, (USA based) from the list

They still owe casshback sites and "daily clickers " money from the advertising compaign they had from April this year:mad::mad::mad:
They owe me about £30

Not good to promote them

bootman

Taken from pprune forum.

Crew only work a Maximum of 900 hours per year.

The average UK salary is £22,000 for 1700 hours per year.

BA CC average £30,000 for 900 hours per year. 50% more in money for half the work.

The wages paid to cabin crew on board a single aircraft also vary wildly. The most senior grade, cabin services directors, earn basic pay of £38,006, which is almost £20,000 higher than the average pay of the main crew.

When allowances for overtime and food are included, the most senior crew earn an average of £56,325 on long-haul flights, which includes £18,319 in allowances. Pursers earn £49,810, including £17,670 in allowances. Main crew earn £34,980, including £16,287 in allowances.

This compares with £27,422 paid to BA crew managers working out of Gatwick, £23,778 to pursers flying from there and £18,323 for main crew.

The company says that cabin crew working on a four-day return flight between Heathrow and Tokyo receive £935 in allowances on top of their salary every time they make the trip. Those on a six-day return trip to Shanghai receive £866 in allowances.

hyde2612

lolarosegem wrote: »

I am british airways cabin crew of 15 years standing, long haul route's and I can assure you that i earn nowhere near £29000. My last year p60 was £17,820.
I have two small children and i have not been at home for christmas for 7 (Yes you read that properly ) 7 years!!!
British Airways have taken 3 crew off the aircraft, they have taken my terms and conditions and ripped them up. They have taken away all chance of future promotion.
No more promotion ever on current contracts.

They have made crew demotivated and miserable.
We spend easters, family birthdays, christmas and special occasions away from home year in, year out.

We are now so exhausted that we genuinely worry that we are not as safe as we could be. Contrary to popular belief crew are not on board to serve drinks and meals, but for your safety. If worse came to worse on a flight wouldn't you prefer that the people responsible for your safety (remember we are the onboard firemen, nurses, doctors etc) could stand up and weren't so jetlagged they couldn't think straight?

I take it those of you who are criticising ba crew, don't believe in workers being able to take strike action ever? Or if you believe workers can strike, when should we strike? When it doesn't affect anyone at all. Well that would really have the company shaking in it's boots wouldnt' it?

I do feel sorry for anyone who has a ruined christmas, but i have been looking after passengers and ruining my families christmases for over 15 years to do a job i was proud to do, enjoyed and paid ok, yes just ok.

How many of you can step beyond the media soundbites and see that this is real people who are losing all their rights and are scared and worried for all their future Christmases. Criticising them because you may be having one 'ruined' christmas is selfish in the extreme.

For your information British Airways most certainly can 'call off the strike' Tony Woodley has made that offer today. Stop the impositions he made on november 16th (i.e. put the crew members back on board) and we will instantly stop the strike.
Mr Walsh (CEO of BA) reply. We are ready for the strike, bring it on.:mad:

It takes years to train as a nurse or doctor and then then the person needs to register, practice and renew training as I understand. I'm sure you have to have gone through this process to claim the title.

dad22

lolarosegem

utter rubbish on so many levels. You're beginning to actually believe the propaganda Unite have been feeding you.

Muppet!

dmg24

lolarosegem wrote: »

I am british airways cabin crew of 15 years standing, long haul route's and I can assure you that i earn nowhere near £29000. My last year p60 was £17,820.
I have two small children and i have not been at home for christmas for 7 (Yes you read that properly ) 7 years!!!
British Airways have taken 3 crew off the aircraft, they have taken my terms and conditions and ripped them up. They have taken away all chance of future promotion.
No more promotion ever on current contracts.

They have made crew demotivated and miserable.
We spend easters, family birthdays, christmas and special occasions away from home year in, year out.

We are now so exhausted that we genuinely worry that we are not as safe as we could be. Contrary to popular belief crew are not on board to serve drinks and meals, but for your safety. If worse came to worse on a flight wouldn't you prefer that the people responsible for your safety (remember we are the onboard firemen, nurses, doctors etc) could stand up and weren't so jetlagged they couldn't think straight?

I take it those of you who are criticising ba crew, don't believe in workers being able to take strike action ever? Or if you believe workers can strike, when should we strike? When it doesn't affect anyone at all. Well that would really have the company shaking in it's boots wouldnt' it?

I do feel sorry for anyone who has a ruined christmas, but i have been looking after passengers and ruining my families christmases for over 15 years to do a job i was proud to do, enjoyed and paid ok, yes just ok.

How many of you can step beyond the media soundbites and see that this is real people who are losing all their rights and are scared and worried for all their future Christmases. Criticising them because you may be having one 'ruined' christmas is selfish in the extreme.

For your information British Airways most certainly can 'call off the strike' Tony Woodley has made that offer today. Stop the impositions he made on november 16th (i.e. put the crew members back on board) and we will instantly stop the strike.
Mr Walsh (CEO of BA) reply. We are ready for the strike, bring it on.:mad:

Boo hoo. If you don't like your job, there are plenty of people that will do it instead of you.

I hope you enjoy your Christmas holiday. You and your colleagues have ruined it for plenty more.