To think British Airways are treating their staff like shit in a crisis

[littleblackdress04]

BA announced that they are making 12,000 staff redundant last week but what they didn’t announce in the press is that they are also making the rest of their cabin crew redundant and reemploying the chosen few in terrible contracts. If they get sick, they will be sacked.

My friend has been worldwide crew for 25 years- she has a permanent contract and earns about 27k a year. She will, on the new contract, move to a zero hours contract on about 14k a year. She has 2 kids and a mortgage and shares childcare with her ex when she is flying. It’s not easy for her but she has always been proud to work for BA.

They used government furlough money to supposedly save their jobs and have now given them all 45 days notice. Only the chosen ones will be invited to apply for the 13k jobs.

Yes, it’s difficult times but is basically telly f staff with 25 years service to fuck off the behaviour of a decent company?

BA are currently buying another airline so they aren’t skint. They are using this as a chance to shaft loyal hardworking staff.

Aibu? (And is it even legal?)

@Birdie exactly- how can someone with kids and 25 years service continue now?

A few people have asked you what your solution is OP. You haven't answered that yet. It's all very well raging about what's happening but you don't have any realistic or feasible alternatives either.

They can't afford to pay their staff. It was going to end badly one way or another.

I'm also astounded that anyone thinks £27k a year is a fantastic old contract, and that a £13k drop in salary and unpredictable shifts is acceptable. How many people would honestly accept half their wage, removal of a lot of their rights as a perm employee with fixed hours, rather than be made redundant, and be able to claim support whilst looking for another job from the moment you are let go?

YABVU. BA are a business and they are doing what they have to to survive.

And yes, lots of people prefer zero hour contracts. I work in an industry where guaranteed hours contracts were offered and declined in large numbers because the staff like and appreciate the flexibility the zero hour contracts can provide.

They may not work for you or your friend, but that doesn’t stop them being good for others.

@Lockheart but this ‘be grateful for whatever you can get even if your employer treats you like shit’ isn’t helpful either is it? I’m not going to get my violin out for BA because it’s a cynical, calculated decision to offer appalling working conditions under the guise of Covid

BA and IAG (comapny that owns BA) have made huge huge profits, the mixed fleet cabin crew are usually on 1400 after tax which for the heathrow area is nothing! So many pilots and Crew who have given years of loyal service to BA will be shafted. Not all pilots are on 150K plus, and many younger pilots have big debts from training to become a pilot. This is an awful time for the indistry but I think BA has wanted to get rid of their staff on worldwide contracts for years and now this is the perfect excuse.

Lizfigs

I don’t think my friend thinks her salary is particularly amazing but she gets superb conditions for it. Doesn’t do that many flights. Nearly all long haul with a decent stop over etc.

Only travels about once a week etc. Sometimes not even that.

So what she actually does for the wage is really good and far far superior to what she would be doing on a new contract.

So you don't have a solution.

' Using covid as an excuse is bullshit'

I know you're upset op, but it isn't an excuse, it's a reason. People flying anywhere will reduce dramatically. BA sales will reduce dramatically. Of course they have to cut staff costs. How are you suggesting they pay their staff with no sales?

@heartsonacake and anyone who says they prefer zero hours contracts, instability and insecurity when they have kids to feed is talking nonsense! Why would you choose that when you don’t know day to day what your income or hours will be. It’s precarious and known to be the cause of poverty for many families

It also kind of proves that no matter how hard you work, you will get shafted. I have a friend who worked for another airline that ceased operations. She loved her job, volunteered for PR events, got lots of praise emails from customers etc. Went above and beyond, lifted heavy bags for customers when crew aren’t meant to. She hurt her bag very badly one day lifting a suitcase and was off work for weeks. Meanwhile the passenger she helped was long gone, I doubt they cared that a “trolley dolly” put her back out helping them.

Anyway, despite all the smiles and the unpaid overtime, the airline went bust, she lost her job and is claiming Jobseekers Allowance now.

I think redundancy is to be expected in many work areas. But there is no excuse for zero hour contracts. They should be banned.

Exactly, what I meant was the way the old contracts are being made out to be super amazing and people are amazed that they have been on them for so long, erm, no. It seems fair and not ridiculously high, or like they deserve to be brought down a peg or two. The new ones are just ridiculous, but people will accept it no doubt.

@Pippin2028 exactly

Are the unions involved?

I agree with you OP. This is incredibly opportunistic of BA and is what they have battled for for years. Once profits resume to pre-Covid levels will they then enhance staff conditions and put them on proper contracts? Will they fuck.

@JudyCoolibar yes I think so - I think its with lawyers at the moment

What do you suggest BA do exactly? Keep paying full pay til they go bust? That’ll teach the big corporate fat cats! Or would you still think they were arses then?

It’s pretty depressing that as workers (any industry) we face a drop in pay and some are facing a huge change to T&Cs. Life will be going to work and mixing with colleagues and customers for 8 hours a day but of course we aren’t allowed to see family or friends!

No meals out, cafes, galleries, holidays, casual shopping on a Saturday.

Just the daily grind of work (and being told to be grateful for your job )that’s changed to a minimum wage, zero hours contract) and going home to watch endless repeats on the television.

Very much agree with you OP. They have been a shitty company for both staff and customers for years now. Very sad to see.

@2kool4skool not expect their staff to work on zero hours contracts as I have said. There is no excuse for it- this isn’t an excuse for poverty pay and conditions. You don’t have to treat your staff like shit.

My DH works for another airline - they have currently been put on 50% hours for 50% pay. His contract allows for him to be laid off without pay, so 50% is better than none. He would just like to end up with a job at the end of all this - and airlines are going to take a long time before ‘normal’ is resumed (or even the new normal).
But I have a friend who works for BA and she feels they have been very badly treated.
I also don’t agree with zero hour contracts. They are so very wrong.

What do you suggest BA do exactly? Keep paying full pay til they go bust? That’ll teach the big corporate fat cats! Or would you still think they were arses then

When furlough ends surely they won't be getting paid on zero contracts anyway until work picks up, so extending unpaid leave is exactly the same financially for people, but without overhauling their contacts for much worse pay, conditions and everything else. I think people expect it not the be straight into full pay, but the implications of fundamentally changing contracts have far reaching implications beyond struggling at the moment. It would be fairer to be realistic about numbers going forward, as they have been by announcing redundancies, and continue to treat remaining staff with a shred of decency.

A lot of companies will do this and use the virus as an excuse. It happened in the last recession as well

and anyone who says they prefer zero hours contracts, instability and insecurity when they have kids to feed is talking nonsense!

You’ve got absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. You may not be able to understand it but that doesn’t stop the fact that many people prefer them as it works for them.

Like I say, guaranteed hours contracts were declined in large numbers in my industry, many of them have families. You being ignorant of the reasons for their choices doesn’t stop that being true.