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What do you think of BA staff strike?
Tuesday 15th December 2009, 8:06AM GMT.
More than a million passengers face Christmas travel misery after British Airways cabin crew announced a 12-day strike in a bitter row over jobs, pay and working conditions. Are you one of those passengers?
Yesterday the union Unite announced a walkout from December 22 to January 2 following a 9-1 vote in favour of industrial action.
BA said the strikes were “completely unjustified”, while rival airlines moved to tempt customers affected by the action.
- Are you affected by the planned strikes? Tell us your story in the comment box below.
Len McCluskey, Unite’s assistant general secretary, said he hoped the size of the vote would force BA to reopen negotiations.
He said the cabin crew were not “mindless militants”, but decent men and women who were proud of BA and did not want to bring the company down.
The strike will ground hundreds of flights and cost BA millions of pounds on top of its current losses of around £1.5 million a day.
British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh called the strike “senseless”.
He said: “Unite must understand that there can be no return to the old, inefficient ways if we want to ensure long-term survival in the interests of our customers, shareholders and all our staff.”
The union warned of further strikes if the long-running dispute was not resolved.
Mr McCluskey accused BA of pushing workers into a “corner” by imposing the changes, which the airline insisted were vital for its future.
Unite said it had put forward proposals it believed would have saved almost £60 million, including a pay cut.
Mr McCluskey made it clear that BA would have to lift the imposition of the changes, including the reduction in cabin crew numbers, before fresh talks could be held.
BA announced earlier that its pension fund deficit had increased by 75% over the past three years to £3.7 billion.
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These are one of the best well paid cabin crew in the airline business , so whether they should strike is questionable.Their are other issues granted but these should be sorted out around the table that does not mean unite Blackmail BA this action if it goes down the road of strike action will either finish off BA or result in massive changes with in, including job losses that will give these employees somthing to moan about and asda shelf stackers here they come, nothing against asda shelf stackers at least the work.
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People like this really get on my nerves.
With the current climate and terrible job situation, they really should learn to value that they actually have a job.
i got made redundant from a professional position in summer this year, pass it my way, i’ll do without moanng.
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No, I’m not one of those passengers. I planned ahead knowing there was the possibility of strike action and booked with another airline…probably like many thousands of others, thereby worsening BA’s already precarious financial situation.
It seems that city bankers are not the only once divorced from reality, but BA cabin staff as well. Make way for them all at the Job Centres in January
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Evidently the staff are so full of Christmas spirit they’ve decided to ruin it for a lot of people travelling to spend it with loved ones.
Hope they all have a rotten Christmas, it’s no more than they deserve for doing this now to innocent people.
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first we had the post strike, now the cabin crew, what next? oh let me guess santa will be going on strike,
if these people want sympathy from the public then why not pick another time of the year to do their strikes its alway around xmas time,wake up there are plenty of other service providers out there that will take the work,
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Its people like this that are putting jobs and companies at risk. I wish that people would stop putting themselves first and think what its doing to the country as a whole. There are enough people out there without jobs if they want to give up there’s then they can soon be filled.
Money is not everything in life sometimes just having a job is more important.
I wish they would think of others
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Unfortunately, I have to use BA for a long haul flight next May. After that however, I will never choose to fly with them again.
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Are these people that short sighted? Do they not realise that BA are probably doing the best they can to reduce the number of job cuts that they have to make by suggesting this course of action?
Do they not realise if BA do not do something like this and soon then the whole airline could diappear and everyone working for the company could lose their jobs?
A 12 day strike is completely selfish and will end up costing more jobs than saving them. The Business this will disrupt will be catastrophic to future business for the foreseeable future.
In the current financial climate sacrifices need to be made to ensure the economy recovers.
I have not sympathy for these people what so ever.
They all have a job for Christmas where many other people don’t.
All I can say to them is grow up and be thankful you can provide a Christmas for your family this year.
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I flew last month. When I made the booking I thought it was going to be with BA, as in their defence, Ive found their customer service to be very good. However, I was put on their “partners” flight – American Airlines… having been “short changed”. I find AA not to be as good as BA, but unfortunately it seems if BA staff insist on this kind of action.. it will only mean its custom will be lost to airlines that dont provide such a high service. No one is going to book a flight not knowing if theyre going to be flying – no matter how good the service!
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I am a frequent flyer with BA, mainly business but some lesiure.
They are an excellent airline. The staff are second to none. What is appalling is that the staff are now cutting their own throats and will be taking the comapny to the brink.
It is without doubt the unions that are responsible. Some throwback to the 70′s who beleives the world owes them a living.
The unions ought to understand that the million or so people who will suffer most from this, are lesiure passengers. Many of whom are union members.
If I was a member of Unite, and had my holiday put in jeapordy by this Union, I would not think twice about leaving the union and joining another.
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I agree with Kath, perhaps it is time BA sacked all the cabin staff & then re-recruit on a non Union basis. Like the Postal Union Unite is trying to run the show for there own ends.
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AVERAGE CABIN CREW PAY
British Airways: £29,000
Easyjet: £20,200
BMI: £18,400
Monarch: £17,500
Virgin Atlantic: £14,400
Source: Civil Aviation Authority 2008
Rights and wrongs of the dispute aside, we have to support an individual’s right to join a union and for that union to fight for what it sees as its member’s interests. If we let the bosses get away with too much, we’ll see a continued degredation of pay and conditions across the country. There needs to be a balance of power and for too long, the balance has been in favour of the employers.
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Why did BA Management make this announcement BEFORE Christmas?
Why not Mid January?
They knew what the unions reaction would be so why did they do it now?
What is their REAL agenda?
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“British Airways’ under-fire chief executive Willie Walsh is to get a £35,000 pay rise [to £735,000] and the chance of a bonus of up to 150% of his salary”
“BA’s annual report also showed that chief financial officer Keith Williams will receive a pay rise to £440,000. His maximum available annual bonus will go up to 125% of basic salary.”
Speaks volumes,don’ blame the union blame the management.
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People are only driven to strike action when companies refuse to negotiate.
Many large employers, including BA, are cynically using the current recession as an excuse to cut back on staff pay and terms and conditions of employment. Only today BA have set about trying to challenge this perfectly legal industrial action, rather than sitting down around the table – very shortsighted of BA’s managers, and clearly done with no thought for their passengers.
As for sacking them Denis, much as you appear to want workers to simply capitulate, thankfully that sort of behaviour is unlawful in this country.
I’m constantly astonished by the number of ordinary working people who are willing to be so uttely submissive to greedy employers – whatever happened to your spines? Take a look at what has happened in real terms to the wages and salaries of ordinary working folk in the last 30 years, and then take a look at what has happened to the remuneration of the senior managers and CEOs of large corporations.
Then perhaps you’ll understand why Unite and their members are willing to make a stand against such greed!
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Peter many employers need to lower wage bills etc FACT if they dont people will lose jobs.
Peter also what gives unions the right to blackmail the employer if you do not like it mate go and get a job elswhere,Also go on folks take your employer to court chances are you will lose and if you win it will be a few months pay and then go and try and get another job…some employees are greedy and presume to dictate to the employer.
I would also say all the people of the uk who intend to vote tory remember the miners unions they will not put up with bully boy tactics .
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I’m directly affected by this strike as I have BA tickets over Christmas. I can only say Unite are short-sighted: BA is making crippling losses and has to change. BA crews in Gatwick are already working the new ‘systems’ without problem. If the strike takes place, I fear BA will go under (especially with the estimated cost of £10million per day of the strike)and all jobs will be lost. But I won’t feel sad for the redundant cabin crew… except they’ve been misguided by their union.
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…wonder how much they’ll complain when the airline goes bump and they’re all heading toward the job centre to sign on – bet the union and the staff will be up in arms for a problem they helped make.
These people have to look at the big picture and take a reality check. Look at the state the country is in as a whole – they should just be thankful they still have a job to get out of bed for each day and get on with it, they can complain about things AFTER their company has seen out the recession.
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Peter, even though I can appreciate your point of view, the work of the unions today need to be modernized.
Unions were introduced to improve working conditions, health and safety plus renumeration when these issues were poor or non-existent and the employer was not answerable to anyone.
Today, this is no longer the case. There is a minimum wage, there is H&S legislation, there is a level playing field for employees rights and working conditions. So what do the unions actually do now? pander to employees who don’t like change?
This proposed action by the BA cabin crew is nothing short of blackmail, with the union used as a platform for their contriteness. An action which the majority of the paying customers of BA find offensive and totally out of order.
The British public are not spineless, indeed they are more aware of their rights and the process of mediation than some leaders of unions. In a modern society there are ways to negotiate change without the threat of disruption to the income of that company.
Are people that stupid to risk their jobs? It would appear that the BA cabin staff are being very short sighted. Do they not realise that to survive in the modern business climate, especially when the company is not publicly owned, one has to cut the cloth to suit the job and accept change.
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English Exile @13
How can BA announce a strike in January that starts in December?
I’m pretty sure had they not announced it the passengers arriving at the airports on the 22nd onwards would have given the game away when they discovered they weren’t going anywhere!
Unless I’m missing your point in which case can you please elaborate????
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“Today, this is no longer the case. There is a minimum wage, there is H&S legislation, there is a level playing field for employees rights and working conditions. So what do the unions actually do now? pander to employees who don’t like change?”
Woody you have either never worked for anyone or forgotten what its like!
The minimum wage for an adult is less than £6 per hour. You would work a 40 hour week for £240 per week – some £960 per month before tax and other deductions.
I am a time served union official of 25 year standing and proud of what we have achieved in protection members from a wide range of spiteful persecutions by power hungry managers.
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The “Unite” Union once again, look at the union at the back of almost every recent strike and almost definately it will be the “Unite” Union led by Derek Simpson and that other “take off” of Red Robbo and Scargill both rolled into one, Tony Woodley who used to represent the Longbridge car workers. This pair wish to take this country back to the 1970s when anarchy ruled.
As for the usual “lefties” who revel in such industrial unrest and extremism and who continually harp on about the pay of managers (which I agree is often outrageous)- why not compare the salaries and perks of Simpson and Woodley with those they represent – then we will really see the colour of your genuiness and concern for the workers.
Those that strike in the present circumstances, particularly BA cabin staff who are the most cosseted in the country, if not the world in the airline industry, sack them – or a goodly number of them, bring them to heel, make them see which side their bread is buttered, these over pampered, glorified waiters and waitresses have held BA to ransom for far to long, they should be taught a severe lesson. Unfortunately, they know they have the whip hand and that is so immoral about their stance. They will bring BA to it’s knees but who knows – perhaps that is what they want. What a distasteful shower.
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hear hear Woody! I work for a Shropshire based “charity” based organization.. a large workforce.. yet the “union” runs amok.. i use hyphons for running because should the organization try to make a change.. an employee within who belongs to the union.. complains.. and then nothing is ever changed because the union runs “amoke”, the organization folds.. and were stuck in the good old union ways of the 70′s. Thanks to the selfish few of a decade gone by… those in the new century have to pay the penalty…. and it seems…. if the unions get their way.. BA will also pay the penalty albeit their trying to FINALLY making the stand!
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You have to wonder if BA Management engineered this action? the way management decided to ride rough shod over the employees and then the over reaction of the Union! just in time for the Xmas break all very cynical! hopefully this will be resolved very quickly for the sake of BA and the employees
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Thank you Woody for taking the words from my fingers, Unions were great in the days when they protected the worker from an unlegislated employer – there is so much legislation, and rightfully so, for an employer these days that Unions do little more than produce a combatative atmosphere on the pretext protecting workers, even if in the long term this causes a company to close down as it can not afford it’s workers demands and suffers a loss of business as cx find alternate suppliers during strike times. If the figures Andy quotes in section 12 are accurate then wouldn’t you prefer to earn £29k per year indefinitely, than increase that at the expense of not having a job in 5-years and having to join the masses in search of a new job – even if you got back into the same position for the next highest salary it’s a 30% reduction in income – a bird in the hand and all that.
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Sack the lot and replace them with people who WANT jobs !!!!
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Minimum pay , health and safety , working conditions…. Hmmm the kind and considerate companies all gave these voluntary so that we would all give up union membership….
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It’s easy to see why Shropshire is a low pay economy, and will remain so, when so few seem willing to even challenge exploitative employers.
BA have set about cutting pay and conditions for its staff, without any of the proper negotiation that should take place in honest, decent industrial relations. Only now, with the threat of strike action, have they finally got around the table – but having just heard the disgraceful decision that the strike is off because a tiny minority of ballot papers were posted to people who had left, despite a massive democratic majority in favour of striking, I imagine BA will cancel these talks.
The judge involved should hang her head in shame, as should BA’s management for abdicating their responsibilities to the courts.
It is Willy Walsh and the BA management who are living in the dark ages of industrial relations, not Unite.
Andrew, you appear to be the sort of employer who regards the minimum wage as generous. Bewar in mind that we all pay a price for these low-quality jobs. The majority of those on minimum wage are subsidised by benefits, funded by the taxpayer, simply in order to reach a subsistence level. Many of their employers make significant profits on the back of their labour, and we all subsidise their greed.
And I would have liked to respond to your last post Andrew, but I couldn’t make head or tail of it – ‘hyphons for running’ – what does that mean?!
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To try and continue the argument certain commentators continue to bemoan minimum wage. The BA employees are not paid the minimum wage but a very respectable salary, i.e. £29k a year. So your argument is invalid in relation to this story.
Unfortunately, all union activists will try to enforce their point of view with how bad things are via negative rhetoric, never through positive dialogue. Nothing new there then.
Common sense has prevailed, a 12 day strike was over the top, a view held by many BA cabin staff and even the union Unite’s leaders! that in itself speaks volumes…
At least the paying customer, who pays their wages, will not have their paid holidays ruined. That is a positive.
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No 20.
What I was saying was why announce changes to working practices, term and conditions, now, knowing that it would possibly cause a strike.
Why didn’t they announce these changes in Mid January?
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Yes, the usual claptrap from the blind, one track lefties. “Exploitative Employers” is the usual cry from those that would have every single manager and employer over a blackmail barrel given their unintelligent blanket response to strikers and industrial disputes.
This is the expected response from our Peter who is obviously out of place living over here, perhaps the workers paradise of China or North Korea would be more to his liking.Only he could come up with:-
“Many of their employers make significant profits on the back of their labour, and we all subsidise their greed”.
Yes, the BA cabin crews are the poor underprivileged, oppressed, downtrodden, hard done to workers in a business managed by dictatorial fat-cats who exploit the labour force as in the days of Charles Dickens. What utter tripe, these BA staff are living on a pigs back and under conditions which many other employees would give their right arms for. How many times does it have to be said, they are the highest paid in the business and their “perks” are second to none but still this is not good enough for the dyed in the wool extreme left wingers like Peter in our midst. Perhaps he will be satisfied when the BA staff have utterly dealt the final blow to British Airways and the company folds throwing 12 thousand, disloyal, thick and militant waiters and waitresses onto the uneployment scrapheap.
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Woody,
I didn’t suggest that BA staff get paid the minimum wage – it was you who brought that into the conversation, as if its presence was somehow a signal that we no longer need trades unions.
In fact, if it weren’t for the campaigning and the collective action of unions and their members, we wouldn’t have a minimum wage, nor indeed many of the health and safety at work benefits we’ve seen in recent decades.
If we’d left all of these matters to employers (with perhaps the exception of the philanthropic few such as Quakers) we’d still be living in the days of the dark Satanic mills, and it’s clear that some such as Denis and Andrew would be happy to see their return.
And Denis, if BA were to attempt to oust the unions by employing non-union labour, they’d soon be back – it only takes 50% of staff to become members and the employer is obliged to recognise the Union, and the way BA treat their people they’d join in their droves.
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I beleive the minimum wage was brought in following an EU directive, not the actions of any Union.
Interesting to see that Unite have today called strikes of Fujuitsu workers, yet again demoonstrating their complete lack of knowledge of economic reality.
in the 70′s whilst at University I had a summer job woeking on a factory shopfloor in Liverpool. Very unionised, very militant. It was the proud boast of one of the shop stewards that they had closed a factory business down.
Seems that todays unions seem to behave in exactly the same way.
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Peter, my point was that the Unions did have their use in the very beginning re: dark Satanic days, which is a little far fetched, bearing in mind the abject poverty people were living in the countryside, prior to the birth of industrialisation. Also that the EU/Union directive of a minimum wage was a fair way not to exploit employees i.e. waiting staff being paid £3.00 per hour plus tips.
However, in this modern era when employees are looked after very well in most instances, why do Unions still try to flex their muscles in militant fashion? It is very short sighted, it doesn’t help the employee or employer and only damages the reputation of both the company and the Union.
An employee is not forced to work for a particular employer, it is a matter of choice. Yes, the current recession may limit other opportunities, but at the end of the day the employee has a choice whether they want to work for a certain company or not.
Unions need to modernise it is a simple as that. They need to forget the dark Satanic days, they have gone. Therefore, their militant tendancies should reflect the need for more dialogue and mediation rather than all out strikes.
The general public have lost any empathy they had with unions a long time ago. You only need to look at the recent postal strikes to realise this.
Democracy is certainly a better option than blackmail and bullying tactics.
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sadly ba cabin staff have the worst of all worlds
1, inept management who sack them at a stroke
2, inept trade union leaders who take them on strike into oblivion
finally funny men in wigs, red coats etc who do noy understand what a 92% majority in a strike
ballot means.
i am glad the strike is postponed, as managers and unions should be locked in a room until
2.1.10 or until the dispute is settled.
i am a member of unite and i am not impressed by their handling of this dispute.
remembrer this dispute is not about pay but abpout management sacking their staff without consulting unite union. a pretty inept show all round!!
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To those who believe that employees such as BA’s no longer need unions, I would say that you are astonishingly naive. Do you really think that large employers would engage in meaningful dialogue or negotiation with individual employees if they didn’t act together under the auspices of union membership? Of course they wouldn’t!
And as for those who suggest that unions are quick to get to strike action, they are not. Firstly it is impossible to call strike action without a legal period of notice, and a full ballot. Secondly, no union would go to the expense of a strike ballot without first of all making repeated attempts to undertake negotiations. It is only in cases where management refuse to negotiate at all that unions are forced to ask workers if they are prepared to exercise their right of last resort to withdraw their labour.
Woody mentions the idea that democracy is better than bullying and blackmail. You’re right Woody, but democracy involves a degree of negotiation, and involves abiding by democratic votes – the courts don’t seem to have understood this – even if all of the disputed votes had been disallowed in this ballot, the majority in favour of strike was overwhelming.
As for bullying and blackmail, I would suggest that the employer cutting terms and conditions without negotiation is bullying, and to use the recession as an excuse to do so is blackmail, so I think BA are the guilty party here.
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