BAA strike

Strapped

If he actually hauls bags then he's not employed by BAA. (Airlines responsible from check-in to collection, although BAA do have some responsibility eg the engineering team maintains the baggage system, Terminal ops troble-shoot blockages, etc.)

ali1972

Rather a lot of irrelevent material. Still, you clearly took some time to type it out - bold type, font changes, swallowed half of Waterstones self help section - so I feel it would be rude of me not to comment.

You are basically implying that if we do not agree with you regarding the projected strikes then we are being short sighted and selfish, so there's really not that much of a difference after all. Semantics...

How would I respond if my employer were to medal in my financial affairs? Do you mean "meddle" by any chance? I've looked up "medal" in the dictionary, just to check that it isn't some obscure verb I'm not aware of or an archaic or corrupted form of another (always happy to learn, being an open minded individual) and I'm forced to conclude that you must indeed mean "meddle". As a contracted freelancer I regularly meddle in my own financial affairs. The companies I'm contracted to do not pay pension contributions on my behalf. I provide for my own retirement. They're welcome to come and meddle if they wish, particularly if it means I can draw a pension of any description from their meddling. Incidentally, a quick straw poll indicates that none of my close contemporaries (in a wide range of industries) has even the sniff of a final salary pension to look forward to. Nor do they expect it. These are the times we live in.

You talk about the British public as if you are not one of us and therefore you feel you may do so condescendingly. I shall give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you are indeed not British, as the alternative is that you regard yourself as not being one of the public (i.e. the people as a whole) and are looking down from on high at us mere proletariats. The cod psychology, ethnological and otherwise, touted in the majority of the above post is risible, I'm afraid. If, however, it helps you to justify your views to yourself then be my guest.

As for myself and others opposed to the strike action, both here and elsewhere, we really do not have to "deal with it". We can respond to the situation any which way we choose, even if that appears "bitter and twisted" to you. You would be well advised to show more tolerance towards the views of those who will be affected by this proposed action, because your failure to do so will undermine the cause of those rather more apologetic supporters of the strikes. You will also appear happier and more content if you do. Try to suppress the bitter and twisted feelings and channel them into a positive direction (Gosh, don't I sound patronising? Apologies...)

The staff want what is being taken away from them? I'm sorry but isn't this about closing the final salary pension to new employees, not current employees? Where are we? France?

As for "Don't shoot the messenger": I'm sorry but you do not get the best of both worlds. You do not get to write an excessively didactic post and then call youself a messenger.

I know it's difficult, but please try to understand that people who have an opposing view to you are not stupid. They just don't agree with you.

chesterfield

Promises_my_foot wrote: »

<snip>
take time out to imagine how you would react if your own employer was to medal in your financial affairs.
<snip>
the staff only want what is being taken away from them.

Sorry - switched the record player back on...

Exactly what is being meddled with for the current employees?

What has been/is being taken away from the existing BAA workers?

Perhpas my stuck record is being played at some frequency inaudible to the human ear, because it certainly appears that the above hasnt been clarified.

The closest we got to an answer was, and Im paraphrasing, "Well this could be the first step to taking it away from existing members".

Im clearly not in denial about the strike action, its happening. Im not angry either - Im not affected. Im certainly not bothered about bargaining - I have no influence over the actions taken by either party. I do accept the strike action is taking place, and clearly there are enough people wishing to strike to demonstrate that there is a widespread view that the action being taken is justified.

I am simply now on a mission to understand exactly what has motivated people to vote for the strike, what is their reasoning, and why they hold these views. I dont wish to change anyones mind, but better understand the different views just for the sake of gaining knowledge on the subject.

The above post is just one of several that have stated the strike is aimed at retaining "what is being taken away" but as far as I am aware, nothing is being taken away from the existing members. Has the union given misleading statements in order to obtain a yes vote, have we the general public not been told the whole truth by BAA - are they tinkering with existing employees arrangements but giving the impression they arent?

cherryred80

How lovely that vermont100 should feel the need to point out his skills! A great many BAA employees do unskilled work, although I now realise I should have included a disclaimer to the effect that I did not mean all. *sigh* Oh, and I thank you not to make any assumptions about my line of work. Ta.

Public opinion seems to be mostly against the prospective strikers; I feel there would be more sympathy if this was to prevent a pension scheme being closed to existing members.

Striking to attempt prevent something that may or may not happen? Cool. Count me in for the General Strike then, just in case it snows/doesn't snow on Christmas Day.

Oh, and the notices regarding missing ballot papers were not seen by a number of staff in time to vote. The unions made little effort to encourage a decent turnout. There are staff who will be striking who do NOT know they won't be paid, and who do NOT know what a picket line is. I'm not anti-union, but this is a badly-organised shambles that makes both BAA and the unions look stupid, and does nothing for the popularity of either.

A decent management team and a decent union would have sorted this out by now.

Arandorastar

Promises_my_foot wrote: »

Hi debs66, my two penneth...

If you have a 5 year fixed rate mortgage and your lender ups the payment fees without negotiation, it’s only natural that you are going to react. Would you agree?

If your lender ups the payment fees for new mortgagees would you withold your payments in protest in case it happened to you? A rather unfortunate example to sustain a very weak argument, in my view.
In any event BAA is not the first employer or industry to withdraw final pension schemes from new employees is it?
Sense will prevail but sadly common sense is a rare commodity these days!

poppyolivia

Any news anyone? We are flying to Charles De gualle Paris on the 13th Jan from Edinburgh and returning on the 18th.....if they are striking does than mean we have to pay for other flights home because the original ones would be cancelled?

januarynightmare

Hi all,
After months of planning I have unfortunately booked a trip to Australia on 17th January. I am going for my best friend's wedding, and also combined the trip with my partner's parents so they can visit my parents for the first time. They are travelling later on so are not affected by the strike. So after ringing the airline it turns out I could travel on the 15th but at an increase of £1000!

If I don't go my partners parents will be left without a driver and will be visiting my parents on their own which is a little strange to say the least, and I won't be present to pass the ring at my pal's wedding (my partner was going to sing too!).

So what do I do, wait and see and if the strike goes ahead loose money on current internal flight bookings, hotels, etc etc Or fork out the money?

I'm a little offended by some posts suggesting people going on holidays are wealthy - this is not the case at all, £1000 is a significant dent in my finances, as I'm sure it is with most people.

Does anyone know how these strikes work, if I change the date to the 15th could I have problems leaving then too?

Yours, troubled passenger

MiserlyMartin

Glad I haven't booked any flights for the New Year. As inconvinient as this may be its about time employers listened to their employees and stopped short changing them. In france they wouldn't put up with poor pay, worthless pensions and working conditions. I say 'up the workers', lets have a mass return to unions for all professions.

If there was a recognised union in my company they wouldn't get away with half the stuff they do currently. For example the office staff have full sick pay, but the shopfloor workers don't.

I support these strikes.

buglawton

I think we have to decide if we want to live

a) In an society where labour is bought and sold by adversarial groups, each of which seeks to keep a stranglehold grip on part of our infrastructure (services we need to live).

or

b) Allow market forces to even out unfairnesses in the price and conditions of work alongside a legal framework where quite a lot of human rights at work are enshrined.

Most British people live and work under system (b) so there are bound to be difficulties when those who prefer (a) want to be in charge.

I didn't like Thatcher but am willing to go through that type of period again if it means we arrive in the end at 'real life'.

vermont100

debs66 wrote: »

i am sorry if that sounded like a tale of woe and despair, and i'm sorry you felt the need to make that comment when I did say i was opposed to the name calling. once again the BAA supporter/worker alienates the public with rudeness.

my points were made from some earlier comments from BBA staff, which smack of bitterness, as they quote how much profit the company has made this year, so they think they deserve more, and how they are given a 'crappy' £100 bonus, and how they 'even have to work on boxing day' - unlike everyone else in the country, i presume.

i hoped to merely point out that we are all in the same boat, but some of us don't have anything like the work benefits they have, but don't victimise others as a means to an end.

by the way, my life is just fab. and i made it that way :j :j :j

debs ...... people will always quote company profits when a company says they are making cut backs or changes. it is quite significant that in this world when many companies are struggling to make profit baa makes very healthy turn overs as quoted already 550 million this year. as an employee we are not looking for a pay rise better conditions or anything other then keeping the pension the same. it seems even after all this time chesterfield still cannot see this. as i said before this wont go to strike action anyway