British Airways cabin crew strike illegal, court rules

[jessicarabbit]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8418805.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

How hard can it be to only ballot the people who still work for the company. You couldn't make it up. Sad reflection of the view of unions in todays world.

[jessicarabbit]

Bet Mandy and Crozier are engaged in a bit of back slapping with old Willie (the wally) Walsh.

[dvbuk55]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8418805.stm

How hard can it be to only ballot the people who still work for the company. You couldn't make it up. Sad reflection of the view of unions in todays world.

It makes you wonder at the calibre of people who work for/are employed by unions.

[La Poste]

They had better start balloting again and pronto.

[antcpfc]

Lots of staff have left the company in the last month.Aparently BA refused to give an up to date list of staff.
Next time we ballot RM will now try exactly the same stunt

[jessicarabbit]

Surely the union should know who its current paid up members are without having to rely on the companies data?

[dvbuk55]

It's all too cosy an affair when a union relies upon the business its members work for, to be part and parcel of collecting funds for them and indeed paying some of the costs to maintain it - is it any wonder that the deals get worse. There needs to be a shake up of the organisation so that a business cannot interfere with the running of the union proper.

[La Poste]

True. the CWU is totally reliant on the RM for its existance.
RM collects the funds and provides the facility rooms. As you rightly say it's no wonder the deals are getting worse.

[Ahebban]

Hence the delay in our own IA ballots. There is only right or wrong when you get to the high court.

[Ahebban]

Going back to the 80's I was an NGA Union Rep. One of the tasks was to collect subscriptions from members at the printing company on a weekly basis and deposit the money at the nearby Co-op. It was a thankless task as all manner of excuses were used to delay paying. Deducting the union subscription at source is always going to be the best option for all parties.

[La Poste]

Yes but it leaves the union open to pressure from RM.
Everybody has a bank account and can set up standing orders. It's not hard to do.

[Stormproof]

The judge was probably going abroad for xmas, flying BA of course

[steven100]

Comments with "staff leaving soon", in rm everyone is leaving. We're screwed

[norbert]

Going back to the 80's I was an NGA Union Rep. One of the tasks was to collect subscriptions from members at the printing company on a weekly basis and deposit the money at the nearby Co-op. It was a thankless task as all manner of excuses were used to delay paying. Deducting the union subscription at source is always going to be the best option for all parties.

been on a couple of strikes with one union , then the company stopped the deduction out of paybills out of spite . Apparently the Union was paying for that paybill deduction service .

Afterwards some people set up direct debits , others volunteered to collect subs for the union .

It made it easy for people to leave the union , if you'd left the union beforehand you'd have been slagged off at a branch meeting . We'd the unusual situation ? that the two staff reps were also the Branch Chairman & Secretary .

We'd another strike for one grade in particular and if you ducked on their strike day you had to produce a medical certificate or they'd have you for secondary action .

http://www.cabincrew.com/ccnetwork/foru ... 36296&PN=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is not a strike that crew have ever wanted. This is a strike, that they
have been forced into, by an uncompromising leadership, under the helm of Willie
Walsh. He came from Aer Lingus, where his drastic cost cutting has virtually
destroyed their airline, and He's trying to do the same at ours. He is hell bent
on destroying our union, as he did with Aer Lingus post 9/11, so he can steam
roll through permanent changes, without any opposition, which we will have to
adhere too forever and not just a few years of recession.

Cabin crew are caring, committed, non militant people. At BA, we view our job as
a career and a vocation, and not just a 2 year holiday job. We are generally
very good at what we do, and are trained in numerous fields. We have ex nurses,
lawyers, head masters, police, army, etc, who have been crew for many years.
Many of us have come from other airlines too, because BA was viewed as the top
employer in the industry. We are paid a fair renumeration for the shift work
that we do, which is on par with other European airlines. Some of the
disparities quoted in the media are both wrong and misleading.

Without doubt, the airline industry is going through tough times, We as crew
realise this better than anyone. As such we have offered huge cost savings, to
ride through the bad times. What we don't want is to permanently eradicate our
terms and conditions and promotion opportunities, and except huge cuts in real
term pay, that will be with us for life, and will ultimately make our jobs non
viable.

We have already adopted many changes, but these have been negotiated, and not
imposed. This is the right way. Imposition is morally wrong, and will basically
give the management a free hand to do what ever they want in the future.
Negotiation is the only way forward. Imposition is why we are threatening to
strike. This is about our future

But it's the future wish list of the ruthless management ( we have seen the
leaked documents!!) that really scares us. It is almost guaranteed whether at
LGW or LHR, that crew will be close to the minimum wage within 2 years, working
far harder, with minimum rest, with no stability of working rotas / days off.
Not a pleasant thought! , especially for those with kids. But hey! who are we to
negotiate.Management know best! just throw your career down the tube, so the fat
cats can swan off to another company with a big bonus, and milk that too.

Unite is only trying to protect it's members. Personally, I'm already looking
for a new job, BA has become a horrible place to work. Crew moral is so low,
it's soul destroying. I've already found 3 jobs that pay better than now
(£22000),with no sleep deprivation, weekends and xmas off, reduced risks of
cancer, nights in your own bed, and a life.


ecause BA have imposed the first of their changes on 16th Nov. This was Unites
1st opportunity to ballot their members. We have been angry for months, but
powerless, but now BA has implemented changes, we have a legal right to oppose
them.

Why Christmas?
Because it has to be within a legal time frame. It has to have a huge impact,
for management to listen. Remember this is a threat, to get management to listen
and negotiate, rather than impose. It could be argued that Walsh has played a
game here, he knew full well that crew would ballot after 16th Nov ( inevitable
strike threat Christmas period). Why did he choose these dates? Because he's
relying on the fact that crew would not be selfish enough to strike at
Christmas, and that the negative backlash from the public would deter them
further.

Our hands are tied, It's another typical BA game. We are dammed if we do, and
dammed if we don't.

REMEMBER THIS STRIKE IT NOT ABOUT PAY, WE ARE ASKING FOR NOTHING, WE HAVE EVEN
OFFERED A PAY CUT. JUST LET US HAVE A SAY IN OUR FUTURE. DON'T FORCE CHANGES.


MY GOD!!!!!!!
What a FANTASTIC post.. You are soooooo very 'rite'.... But as I said in my previous post, BA cabin crew live in this "bubble" and nobody and nothing is gonna change that.... Or so they think, they have this blind outlook...they seem to think that they are untouchable..... AND yes I work for BA, I am a purser on WW AND on the old contract, and no, I'm not stupid, I just see the BIGGER picture.

Exactly my point too, so many people don't want to open their eyes! They only need to look at other careers and other cabin crew flying out of LHR and compare! The crazy thing is the new deal and pay changes they want still make BA the best paid airline.

The problem is fundamentally older crew who are all unionized so much that they believe change can't happen. They would be more than happy to have new crew start on peanuts as long as it doesn't effect them. My post regarding BASSA was spot on, and i was surprised that the usual posters didn't reply to it! You can't deny the truth.

A lot of crew live in LA LA Land! They think the aircraft they fly on is called BASSA Airways not British Airways! The strike will only add to your savings targets. It will be interesting to see what happens down the line. For those that think nothing will change for them you are very much in denial and i suggest you start reading newspapers and not the BASSA newsletter!

Very sad situation indeed.

ttp://www.daylife.com/article/0gYl8my61LcKk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; plenty of links on there

[Night Tonic]

Oh no, never about pay, next it'll be "we're doing it for the benefit of BA customers". Makes the response to the ballot result look hollow now. Even in the CWU theres a bunch that think they deserve a medal just for warming their backsides by a brazier.