BA Strikes

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I stand corrected. Thank you for rectifying my gross assumption.

As an aside, was this strike really declared illegal solely due to Unite incorrectly sending ballots to ex-employees ? Because that won't have materially affected the vote would it.

I got the impression that the cabin crew staff who voted in favour thought that it'd be one or two days worth of strikes, and didn't realise that Unite were going to impose a 12 day jobbie right through Christmas. If Unite didn't make that clear to them before ballotting then I'm not surprised it was declared illegal.

I believe that it was declared illegal solely because Ballot Papers were sent to people who had recently taken Voluntary Redundancy, (and in some cases to people who had long since left the Company.)

I agree that it wouldn't have affected the result, but I guess it was the principal of people voting who shouldn't have voted was the reason that the Judge ruled it was illegal.

Anyway, We're now hopefully off to Budapest for the Wife's Birthday and NYE

 

[Easy 10]

No 'hopefully' about it by the looks. Enjoy your crimbo, and give the cabin crew HELL.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I believe that it was declared illegal solely because Ballot Papers were sent to people who had recently taken Voluntary Redundancy, (and in some cases to people who had long since left the Company.)

I agree that it wouldn't have affected the result, but I guess it was the principal of people voting who shouldn't have voted was the reason that the Judge ruled it was illegal.

Anyway, We're now hopefully off to Budapest for the Wife's Birthday and NYE

the argument that the Union used was as BA were the only ones who knew who was on the redundancy list, they had no chance of knowing.

they voted 95% for strike action, and they have been thwarted by the law.....

i am not sure this is a good day for democracy

 

[Stat Brother]

I've just been catching up on this, and being a postie I'm certainly very sympathic towards the rank and file, cabin crew.

It seems like they are being screwed over by management, and the union is so hell bent on bringing them down, they aren't actually doing right by their own members.

It certainly sounds familar to me.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Air Europe actually.

They were massive when their parent company ILG collapsed in 91

Our old sponsors British Caledonian were consumed by BA after financial trouble in the late 80s.

You may also remember Dan Air were a fairly big player back in the day too. Airlines seem especially vulnerable to recession. In fact take a look at the number of airlines our country has lost over the years, how many do you remember?:

AB Airlines
ACE Freighters
AV8 Air
Air 2000
Air Anglia
Air Atlanta Europe
Air Caledonian
Air Charter Limited
Air Cordial
Air Europe
Air Ferry Limited
Air Foyle HeavyLift
Air Manchester
Air Scandic
Air Transport Charter
Air UK Leisure
Air Wales
AirUK
Aircraft Transport and Travel
Airflight
Airtours International Airways
Airways International Cymru
Airwork Services
Ambassador Airways
Amber Airways
Aquila Airways
BA Connect
Berlin European UK
Birmingham European Airways
Britannia Airways
British Air Transport
British Airtours
British Airways Helicopters
British Airways Ltd.
British Aviation Services
British Caledonian
British Caribbean Airways
British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines
British Eagle
British European Airways
British Island Airways
British Marine Air Navigation Co Ltd
British NorthWest Airlines B cont.
British Overseas Airways Corporation
British South American Airways
British United Air Ferries
British United Airways
British United Island Airways
British Westpoint Airlines
Brymon Airways
Brymon European Airways
Buzz (airline)
Cal Air
Caledonian Airways
Cambrian Airways
Capital Airlines (UK)
Channel Air Bridge
Channel Airways
Channel Express
City Star Airlines
CityFlyer Express
Community Express Airlines
Court Line
Crilly Airways Ltd
Daimler Airway
Dan-Air
Debonair (airline)
Donaldson International Airways
Duo Airways
Emerald Airways
EuroManx
Eurodirect
Excalibur Airways
Flightline (UK)
FlyWhoosh
Flying Colours (airline)
Flykeen Airways
GB Airways
Gill Airways
Go Fly
Gregg Air
Handley Page Transport
Highland Express Airways
Hunting-Clan Air Transport
IAS Cargo Airlines
Imperial Airways
Instone Air Line I cont.
Intra Airways
Invicta International Airlines
Isle of Man Air Services
JMC Air
Jersey Airlines
Jersey Airways
Jetstream Express
KLM UK
Laker Airways
Lloyd International Airways
London City Airways
Maersk Air UK
Malinair
Manx Airlines
Morton Air Services
MyTravel Airways
MyTravelLite Airlines
Northeast Airlines (UK)
Novair International Airways
Orion Airways
Prime Airlines
Princess Air
Railway Air Services
Redcoat Air Cargo
Scottish Airlines
Silver City Airways
Silverjet
Skysouth
Skyways (British airline)
South West Aviation
Spartan Air Lines Ltd
Starways
Thomsonfly
Tradewinds Airways
Trans European Aviation
Transair (UK)
Transmeridian Air Cargo
UK International Airlines
United Airways Limited
Virgin Sun Airlines
Westminster Airways
XL Airways UK
Zoom Airlines Limited

5 or 6?

 

[Easy 10]

An "unnamed" cabin crew member (and this is in The Times)

“I would say that a lot of the votes are protest votes at the imposition of working practices,” she said. “No one wants to strike. No one minds a pay freeze, but just to take crew members from the crews is too much. It is not a very thought-out approach. The union put forward a package of proposals in the spring but the company just said no. Cabin services directors now work on a trolley so, when passengers have a problem, they are seen to by the most junior member of crew and this is causing untold chaos."


Mmm, yes I can only BEGIN to imagine.

Passenger: "Excuse me, I opened up my tapioca pudding pot and discovered there was no JAM to put on top. I mean what kind of airline are you running here ?"
TrollyDolly: "I'm sorry sir, but we're not allowed to serve jam at 36,000 feet. Its a new EU directive, apparently at altitude it can be used as an improvised explosive. Would you like some marmalade ?"
Passenger: "No I do NOT want marmalade. I don't like the bits in it. Who's in charge here ?"
TrollyDolly: "That'd be Fiona, our Cabin Services Director, but she's serving in cattle class today sir, I'm afraid she is unavailable".
Passenger: "This is an outrage. Whats your name ? You will be hearing from my MP."

Carnage.
Utter carnage.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

OK enough is enough.

THis is absolutely f all to do with cabin crew, airlines or anything of that ilk.

This is all about a bunch of selfish, highly paid, smart suited mobsters.
They masquerade under the name of Unite but in reality they are mobsters, gangland mobsters.

I have seen them operate in Scotland and nearly bankrupt a company coming to terms with the recession. The only agenda on their books is themselves. Me me me me me. That should be their motto.

In the instance in Scotland they called a strike which caused the loss of over 300 of their own members who worked for other sub contracting companies.

So let's not kid ourselves here.

With a double dip recession looming we have a bunch of gangsters legally bullying society?
I think not!

TNBA

TTF

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

BA definitely do not come out of this very well. The passenger information on their website has been confusing to say the least. I was booked to return to the UK on the 21st which was outside the dates of the proposed strike. Their website on Monday initially said they would change flights within the strike period and 48 hours either side of those dates. This implied to a lot of people that people flying on the 20th / 21st could be effected. I also phoned them up and they said I should be OK – should could mean anything. As a result I booked another flight along with thousands of other people to guarantee a return flight – I knew that if and when I cancelled the second flight I’d have to pay cancellation charges, about $200. On Wednesday they finally said flights on the 21st would be OK – too late for many people who’d booked a second flight. Complete shambles with many passengers vowing to never use them again.

We’d better bloody win at Wycombe!

 

[Easy 10]

Trouble is, with strikes still planned NOBODY is going to be booking BA for the forseeable future, you'd have to be stupid.
I'm really glad for the folks who won't now have their Christmas ruined. But this looks like it could be the beginning of the end for that airline, the knock-on effects of this will be catastrophic.

 

[beorhthelm]

cant believe i read today that the union decided on the 12 day length after the vote was won. how can they even be allowed to do that?

 

[Easy 10]

Thats why I was wondering whether it was one of the reasons the strike was declared "illegal".
From some of the interviews I was hearing, it sounded like the cabin crew members didn't know they were voting for a 12 day strike.