Not that I've ever flown British Airways, but...

Post by **spot** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:36 am

"The average salary for BA’s 14,000 cabin crew, including bonuses and allowances, is £29,900, compared with £14,400 at Virgin Atlantic and £20,200 at EasyJet."

"British Airways cabin crew have voted in favour of a strike over job cuts and changes to staff contracts. The strikes are set to begin on 22 December and run until 2 January, and are expected to cause significant disruption over the Christmas period. Cabin crew voted overwhelmingly in favour of the strike action."

Targeting the holiday peak, as usual.

Fire the lot of them, every last one. Not a single current British Airways cabin crew employee should ever be allowed on a British Airways plane again.

"Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of Unite, said it took the decision to strike with 'a heavy heart'. "? Rubbish, you collectively took the decision to strike knowing perfectly well you were holding the Christmas holiday travellers to ransom.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:36 am

spot;1272896 wrote: "The average salary for BA’s 14,000 cabin crew, including bonuses and allowances, is £29,900, compared with £14,400 at Virgin Atlantic and £20,200 at EasyJet."

"British Airways cabin crew have voted in favour of a strike over job cuts and changes to staff contracts. The strikes are set to begin on 22 December and run until 2 January, and are expected to cause significant disruption over the Christmas period. Cabin crew voted overwhelmingly in favour of the strike action."

Targeting the holiday peak, as usual.

Fire the lot of them, every last one. Not a single current British Airways cabin crew employee should ever be allowed on a British Airways plane again.

"Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of Unite, said it took the decision to strike with 'a heavy heart'. "? Rubbish, you collectively took the decision to strike knowing perfectly well you were holding the Christmas holiday travellers to ransom.

Do you have a link so we can read the story in it's entirity?

Jazzy · Post by **Jazzy** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:39 am

The question is why are they doing this?

Post by **spot** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:40 am

oscar;1272914 wrote: Do you have a link so we can read the story in it's entirity?

It's breaking news, oscar. That means the news sites are changing the text of their articles from one hour to the next, so I can't link to where I picked the quotes up from. What do you recommend as forum protocol in such circumstances? I tend to go with "it's happening as we speak, check your favourite news provider to see the latest state of play".

BBC News - British Airways cabin crew vote for Christmas strike

Jazzy · Post by **Jazzy** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:41 am

oscar;1272914 wrote: Do you have a link so we can read the story in it's entirity?

Here is another story link: British Airways cabin crew vote to strike - AOL Money & Finance

Post by **spot** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:41 am

Jazzy;1272915 wrote: The question is why are they doing this?

Because they can.

Jazzy · Post by **Jazzy** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:45 am

spot;1272918 wrote: Because they can.

That's not the correct answer if you read the news articles.

Post by **spot** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:50 am

Jazzy;1272919 wrote: That's not the answer according to the news.Every time British Airways staff threaten to strike it's across a holiday peak period. It creates tens of thousands of hostage travellers. It's a disgusting abuse and they do it simply because they have the capability of doing it. The travelling public are mere pawns in their power-play. When you asked "why are they doing this" I thought you were asking for my conclusion, not for a quote from the news article.

Jazzy · Post by **Jazzy** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:14 am

spot;1272921 wrote: Every time British Airways staff threaten to strike it's across a holiday peak period. It creates tens of thousands of hostage travellers. It's a disgusting abuse and they do it simply because they have the capability of doing it. The travelling public are mere pawns in their power-play. When you asked "why are they doing this" I thought you were asking for my conclusion, not for a quote from the news article.

I accept your conclusion and suggest you don't book any tickets with British Airways. It's not only the airlines doing this right now in this horrible economy. Any advantage any company can take of the travellers right now they are doing with a vengence. That's why I stay home with family and friends

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:07 pm

Australia post is on strike but instead of disrupting the mail they've decided to post letters without a stamp :wah::wah::wah::wah::wah:

So if you're Australian and posting within Australia get all your Chrissy cards out now .....You won't pay a cent!!!:wah::wah::wah::wah::wah:

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:50 pm

spot;1272921 wrote: Every time British Airways staff threaten to strike it's across a holiday peak period. It creates tens of thousands of hostage travellers. It's a disgusting abuse and they do it simply because they have the capability of doing it. The travelling public are mere pawns in their power-play. When you asked "why are they doing this" I thought you were asking for my conclusion, not for a quote from the news article.
Even though I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than agree with you, I'm afraid your right in this instance. To threaten strike action would be acceptable under any other circumstances than the holiday period especially Christmas eve. A truely disgusting abuse of power and the lot should be sacked and replaced. A legitimate claim for Increased saleries could be brought to the table at any time of the year but this sounds as though It was planned to cause as much disruption as possible. That Is bribery I believe.

Post by **spot** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:03 pm

oscar;1273037 wrote: A legitimate claim for Increased saleries could be brought to the table at any time of the year but this sounds as though It was planned to cause as much disruption as possible. That Is bribery I believe.

If I summarise the position, it's even more ridiculous. The union proposed a temporary pay reduction. Management refused to accept the proposal. The union then balloted the membership for a strike, aiming the voting day so as to trigger the strike for the Christmas period. Nobody's discussing increased salaries at all.

I'm still coming to terms with Jazzy's notion of British Airways taking advantage of travellers at the moment. They're a disreputable scummy outfit with all the ethical probity of a woodlouse[1] but their inability to fly planes this Christmas is scarcely of their own making.

[1] They lie and cheat in order to harm low-cost competition, to the detriment of the public as a whole, may they burn in hell for it.

kayleneaussie · Post by **kayleneaussie** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:19 pm

fuzzywuzzy;1273031 wrote: Australia post is on strike but instead of disrupting the mail they've decided to post letters without a stamp :wah::wah::wah::wah::wah:

So if you're Australian and posting within Australia get all your Chrissy cards out now .....You won't pay a cent!!!:wah::wah::wah::wah::wah:

oooooooooo i havent heard that one

had to pay for all my chrissie stamps...

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:43 pm

fuzzywuzzy;1273031 wrote: Australia post is on strike but instead of disrupting the mail they've decided to post letters without a stamp :wah::wah::wah::wah::wah:

So if you're Australian and posting within Australia get all your Chrissy cards out now .....You won't pay a cent!!!:wah::wah::wah::wah::wah:

they better not disrupt incoming mail, I just send my Christmas cards over.:-5

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:35 am

spot;1272896 wrote: "The average salary for BA’s 14,000 cabin crew, including bonuses and allowances, is £29,900, compared with £14,400 at Virgin Atlantic and £20,200 at EasyJet."

"British Airways cabin crew have voted in favour of a strike over job cuts and changes to staff contracts. The strikes are set to begin on 22 December and run until 2 January, and are expected to cause significant disruption over the Christmas period. Cabin crew voted overwhelmingly in favour of the strike action."

Targeting the holiday peak, as usual.

Fire the lot of them, every last one. Not a single current British Airways cabin crew employee should ever be allowed on a British Airways plane again.

"Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of Unite, said it took the decision to strike with 'a heavy heart'. "? Rubbish, you collectively took the decision to strike knowing perfectly well you were holding the Christmas holiday travellers to ransom.That, if I remember correctly, is exactly what Ronald Reagan did in the early 80's when the air traffic controllers decided to strike here.

FUBAR · Post by **FUBAR** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:03 am

I should imagine that going on strike at Christmas is so as to get in the news and get managements attention gathered a bit more. If you work in an office and withdraw your labour, doing it on Saturday and Sunday when the office is shut probably won't get much response from your boss, doing it Monday morning when the office is busy just might. I am always amazed how so many people have opinions about what other workers should do and accept where they work but how different it is when they are involved themselves...

Post by **spot** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:21 am

FUBAR;1273086 wrote: I am always amazed how so many people have opinions about what other workers should do and accept where they work but how different it is when they are involved themselves...

You seem to be implying that, were I employed as British Airways cabin crew, I'd be in favour of holding the travelling public hostage at Christmas as a negotiating tool. Were I to think hard about that for long enough I might resent the suggestion.

FUBAR · Post by **FUBAR** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:14 am

spot;1273111 wrote: You seem to be implying that, were I employed as British Airways cabin crew, I'd be in favour of holding the travelling public hostage at Christmas as a negotiating tool. Were I to think hard about that for long enough I might resent the suggestion.

What would you resent. I merely suggested that most people are very willing for others to make sacrifices but usually draw the line at themselves cutting back. Happens in every strike in every industry, it's called the "I'm alright Jack " syndrome. There was a woman on the news today who was going on about the strike and ended by saying the crew should just be glad that they had jobs....

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 2:28 pm

FUBAR;1273151 wrote: What would you resent. I merely suggested that most people are very willing for others to make sacrifices but usually draw the line at themselves cutting back. Happens in every strike in every industry, it's called the "I'm alright Jack " syndrome. There was a woman on the news today who was going on about the strike and ended by saying the crew should just be glad that they had jobs....

I think you might be onto a looser with this one. Too many people who are not at the top of their industries payscale who have not chosen to go on strike for more pay just because they can hold the company's customers to ransom.

Lots of people here who are not "all right Jack" but are not in a position to go on strike for more pay who will look at the BA Stewards and say why should I make a sacrifice for your benefit - you're already getting a good screw.