British Airways announces strike dates

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8563728.stm

The union representing British Airways cabin crew has said its members will go on strike for three days from 20 March and for four days from 27 March.

I'm in a union, so I have some sympathy, but after seeing the comparison of different compensation packages airline cabin crews get, I'm inclined to tell the BA crews to STFU and do their jobs.

{ETA} Found the information about how much airline crews get paid:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8148759.stm

BA's 14,000 cabin crew are well-paid in industry terms, according to a recent survey for the Civil Aviation Authority, which suggested they earn twice as much as rivals on Virgin Atlantic.

The average pay for a BA crew member is put at £29,900 a year, including bonuses and allowances, compared with just £14,400 at Virgin Atlantic.

Insiders claim some BA cabin crew earn much more than the average, with a senior crew director on a long haul flight paid about £60,000 a year.

DH is a pilot for BA, so all of this really hits home to me!

At Unite's press conference this morning, Len McKlusky said that Unite's offer to BA met all of BA's requirements. That is not true. BA asked back in February 2009 for permanent cost savings. The pilot union BALPA agreed a deal in June. Unite failed to agree a deal because they refused to negotiate for months because various factions of Unite refused to sit in the same room together, which was a point noted by judge Christopher Holland in his court ruling regarding the change to crew compliment numbers. The Unite offer called for what they call a "pay loan". Essentially they called for a pay cut this year and in 2011 Unite have called for a pay rise for cabin crew beyond what they receive now. What about permanent cost savings do Unite not understand? That is a fundamental piece of the criteria that Unite failed to meet.

The BA offer does not affect crews' take home pay, it simply removes one crew member from the aircraft but makes the CSD a working position (so they work on a trolley during the meal services instead of sitting in their office for the flight). So there will be same number of crew members doing the service, it's just that the CSD has to actually work for their 56,000 per year. On shorthaul, Heathrow services are being brought into line with what has been operated at Gatwick with Unite's agreement for years.

Len McKlusky has also slandered volunteer cabin crew, the majority of whom are pilots and are already trained in safety and emergency procedures in the cabin and have to go through refresher training each year. Pilots and other volunteers have gone through a training course approved by the CAA and have met all of the safety requirements that cabin crew must meet. To suggest that the flying public will not be safe is simply untrue and slanderous.

So far BA have revealed that 70% of Gatwick-based cabin crew will work through a strike and all of BA's longhaul services from Gatwick will operate along with at least 50% of its shorthaul flights from Gatwick. The number for Heathrow hasn't been revealed but BA expects to operate all of its 777 aircraft and the majority of its Airbus services. There should be little disruption for flights between the USA and the UK. London City operations are unaffected by this strike action.


            

Hiya

The ever "we deserve more pay" argument happens in every single company,management and employee relationship the world over - nothing new there, so from that point of view this is just the same.

However, this whole round of industrial action is just stupid, a company's management is openly saying they need to make cost savings - all companies do of course, however given the economic turmoil and the impact in the airline industry the behemoth that is BA really are in the mire - and staff and their 'union' are demanding higher pay?!

It seems to me these 'unions' haven't really got a clue - go on strike they say, ok so are THEY going to pay for the lost earnings members will lose by not working? right now with jobs being cut you'd think common sense would prevail and the unions say keep working, we understand how the need to keep a roof over your head and feeding your kids is more important right now.

My mum is a 'union' and was asked recently to strike. She didn't and went in and reports that a woman who always used to talk to her and be nice and chat to her walked past her the other day with her nose in the air. I'm really sorry, but like my mum said, I don't want to lose my pay, who's going to make up the difference by me going on strike? was that silly woman going to cover it?!


I don't know too much about the whole politics thing and unions etc, so what are BA supposed to do ? on one hand they want to make cost savings, identified a good place to make those savings and going for it, just so happens it's one less crew member' and now the 'union says oh no cant do that. Well sorry , yes they can do that, a 'Business' is just that, a business, in order to stay a business nothng is beyond a cut.

I have a feeling that long term, BA is going to HAVE to merge with another major international airline the resulting deal will probably mean an end to unions and they can get on with running a business more effectively long term.

Although I'll never fly BA again, I can certainly see the silly place they're being pushed into with this union crap - it's time the UK changed it's roots of the past and played alongside major markets in the same way becuase as we know, BA might be the wworlds biggest airline at the moment, it's now where near approaching the best at all.

wow, first time I've had to add 'rant over' !

Cheers, Dennis! west London & Slough UK!

This brings back bad memories - i was part of the unlucky few who suffered anxiety and craziness over the christmas/new years time when BA announced that strike. Luckily it was called off due to legal interference and i was able to spend and amazing Christmas and New Years with my boyfriend - in exchange all passengers recieved 10,000 airmiles from BA but the uncertainty and sleepless nights definately did make up my mind to never fly with BA again. Unfortunately this has happened far too many times and i know other airlines can end up with strikes as well - i just wish the BA and Unite came to an agreement without disrupting or stressing their customers because at the end of the day whether the Union or the Airline "wins" their point - they are loosing more and more customers and frequent flyers as this continues. I just hope no one from UKY is affected by this!