BA win - Victory for common sense

malkie76

I totally understand, I work for a company which made £10billion profit last year, yet are shedding jobs, freezing pay, and closing sites (to reduce costs to be attractive to investors in the short term). Of course, I'm free to seek employment elsewhere, but there aren't the jobs right now.

I'd argue that if BA fold, they'll be reborn the next morning as BA version2, with new contracts for anyone who wants to stay, no union stranglehold, and no black hole of a pension deficit. It would make BA profitable overnight if they went bust.

Worked out pretty well for Swissair!

In terms of CC contracts, it's probably better the devil you know!

will-in-estoril

Mr_Lahey wrote: »

After this blow now, surely Unite, combined with all the bad press they have had will stop trying to ruin things for everyone with their pathetic little hissy fit.

malkie76 wrote: »

Absolutely a win for common sense. Suggestion has been made that the support for strike action in this round of ballots is less than previously seen!

I really don't want my upcoming trip to the far east in tatters due to industrial action!

You see, premature triumphalism is very dangerous. This is primarily an industrial, not a legal, dispute, which is being played out thus. The courts may intervene along the line, but ultimately this dispute will be resolved by negotiation.

The turnout for the ballot, and those who voted in favour of taking industrial action, is still huge, despite the threats by BA to remove travel concessions of any staff member taking what would be lawful strike action.

There will be those from the right who will be dumbfounded by this result, purely and simply because they do not understand any notion of collective action and solidarity, and live in a world of self.

I do hope that this dispute is resolved without the public being inconvenienced too much; however, in a democratic society the right to withdraw one's labour is a fundamental right. We still remember 25th April here in Portugal, and what went before.

For the record, I am not a member of Unite, nor of any political party.

C_Mababejive

I am a TU member also but i believe that todays vote for strike action is suicide and I picture in my mind ,fleets of Lemmings flooding over the clifftops at Beachy head.

I do not believe that BA should negotiate further and that they should press ahead to staff their flights with those who choose to work and other recruits.

BA cabin crew are not living in the real world.

Have they checked BAs balance sheet lately?

Have you checked the share price lately?

Did you read what happened to Cadburys?

Consumer confidence must be recaptured for if it isnt, then BA is finished.

It will be wide open to predators,..another airline will buy them,or it will be purchased by venture capitalists who will take the knife to the workforce,asset strip the company and return it to profit. Such a situation will be very painful for existing employees.

Thats how business works.

Mr_Lahey

I want to lend a few facts to this debate:

BA made a loss of £342m Between April and Dec 2009.

BA cabin crew earn on average twice as much as other airline cabin crew, the lowest wage on long haul is £36,000, in comparison to £14,000 on Virgin.

Now, lets put this into perspective - 80.7% voted yes to a strike out of a total 80% turnout. That means that in reality 64% of BA cabin crew support the strike. Added to the fact there are 2,000 BA Cabin Crew who are not members of Unite and therefore would not have voted on a strike you can assume that 45% of workers at BA have voted for a strike.

Reasons they are striking:

Because BA wants to take the long haul cabin crew down one person from 15 to 14 and introduced a 2 year pay freeze (in line with other airlines, when actually BA are already earning 50% more than some)

Introducing a new pay scale for new members set at market rate + 10%, BA cabin crew would still be better off than most other Cabin Crew.

So - Make your own mind up about these strikes.

will-in-estoril

C_Mababejive wrote: »

I am a TU member also but i believe that todays vote for strike action is suicide and I picture in my mind ,fleets of Lemmings flooding over the clifftops at Beachy head.

I do not believe that BA should negotiate further and that they should press ahead to staff their flights with those who choose to work and other recruits.

A so-called trades unionist who advocates scabbing. No further comment.

Mr_Lahey wrote: »

Now, lets put this into perspective - 80.7% voted yes to a strike out of a total 80% turnout. That means that in reality 64% of BA cabin crew support the strike. Added to the fact there are 2,000 BA Cabin Crew who are not members of Unite and therefore would not have voted on a strike you can assume that 45% of workers at BA have voted for a strike.

On turnout and votes 'for' a far bigger mandate than any political party in western Europe has had to govern in the last 100 years. Perhaps a perusal of the Electoral Reform Society's facts and figures on turnouts in elections may serve as some education.

dickydonkin

will-in-estoril wrote: »

I will take no lessons about insults from a newbie who does not shy away from using language which belies the bile and venom they clearly hold towards anyone not in step with their reactionary views.

If a sensible debate is to be had it needs to be without the loaded language normally associated with the Daily Mail and Express.

So 'Newbies' are always wrong then and are not allowed to voice their opinion?

By virtue of being a multi-poster does that mean you must be right all of the time and cannot be criticised?

As a 'Newbie' myself, I am indeed privileged and consider it an honour to share the same thread as such a distinguished poster.

Grow up!

C_Mababejive

will-in-estoril wrote: »

A so-called trades unionist who advocates scabbing. No further comment.


.

Will ...I am a member of a Trade Union though I am not a Trades Unionist. I do support the TU movement as a means of workers representation and as a vehicle for collective agreements, working with its employers for mutually beneficial outcomes.

What i dont support is for a Trade union which blindly runs its members over the cliff tops !

This dispute is pure folly and I predict that Unites members will suffer as a result.

MissBehaving

will-in-estoril wrote: »

I am very sorry if anyone misses a couple of days in Paris over Easter

Such a selfish comment!!

What about the rest of us that have saved for two years to go on a holiday and booked with an airline that is meant to be reputable with crew that are meant to be professional?

Problem is... We then find out that those 'professional' crew aren't happy with their lot...and are being guided by a Union!

Never mind!!!!

Let the rest of us lose out financially and emotionally so that BA's Crew are not affected in anyway!

Nigbob

Mr_Lahey wrote: »

I want to lend a few facts to this debate:

BA made a loss of £342m Between April and Dec 2009.

BA cabin crew earn on average twice as much as other airline cabin crew, the lowest wage on long haul is £36,000, in comparison to £14,000 on Virgin.

Now, lets put this into perspective - 80.7% voted yes to a strike out of a total 80% turnout. That means that in reality 64% of BA cabin crew support the strike. Added to the fact there are 2,000 BA Cabin Crew who are not members of Unite and therefore would not have voted on a strike you can assume that 45% of workers at BA have voted for a strike.

Reasons they are striking:

Because BA wants to take the long haul cabin crew down one person from 15 to 14 and introduced a 2 year pay freeze (in line with other airlines, when actually BA are already earning 50% more than some)

Introducing a new pay scale for new members set at market rate + 10%, BA cabin crew would still be better off than most other Cabin Crew.

So - Make your own mind up about these strikes.

Alternatively, if you want an alternative point of view...

http://www.unitetheunion.com/campaigns/ba_united_we_stand/unite_press_releases/low_wages_tax_credits_and_the.aspx

will-in-estoril

MissBehaving wrote: »

Such a selfish comment!!

What about the rest of us that have saved for two years to go on a holiday and booked with an airline that is meant to be reputable with crew that are meant to be professional?

Problem is... We then find out that those 'professional' crew aren't happy with their lot...and are being guided by a Union!

Never mind!!!!

Let the rest of us lose out financially and emotionally so that BA's Crew are not affected in anyway!

Selfishness is on the part of those who consider that their holiday is more important tha somebody else's livelihood. Reflect!