about the forthcoming BA strike?

[iwastooearlytobeayummymummy]

DS (11)is supposed to be going on a much anticipated school trip next week, but both outward and return dates are strike days.
I can't begin to tell you how much he has been looking forward to this trip.

DD3 (13 )is also away, at the same time, on a choir trip, but flying with another operator.

Excited at the prospect of 2 children away,and happy to leave DD2 ( 18) home alone, DH and I have booked a much needed break ourselves, first time away without the children in 5 years.

Now everything is 'up in the air', no pun intended .

Can somebeody please explain why cabin crew are so aggreived? I've had a look at BBC's overview of the reasons behind the strike, but don't really get it.I also work for an organisation ( local authority actually) that has announced a 2 year pay freeze, recruitment freeze and forthcoming redundancies. Apart from free tea bags and instant coffee I get no other priveliges.

IABU to think they've got nothing to strike over?

Pinkfizzle, I take home between £800 and £900 a month (I'm part time), so no, I wouldn't say I'm in an "ok financial situation". I struggle and if it wasn't for some tax credit I wouldn't get to the end of the month. That's why I'm in no position to use travel concessions to go on holiday. That's why I'd much rather protect my pay and conditions than worry about travel concessions. Paying the mortgage and bills is more important! I do, however, understand that to many of my colleagues staff travel concessions are a necessity, as they commute from abroad, therefore use them to come to work. I hope BA will reinstate them esp for those people, and also because BA make £10 million a year profit on them.

Athomesal, I've told you the truth, but feel free to disbelieve me if you wish! By the way "junior crew" is not someone who's just joined the company; I'm junior crew and I've been at BA 12 years.

The turnout today was amazing! 70% of flights at Heathrow cancelled. Not so many at Gatwick, but this was always a Heathrow strike, so I'm gratful to my Gatwick colleagues who joined us in strike.
The rest of the flight that departed mainly operated by Ryanair, Tyson and Quantas. Very few flights with BA staff took off. And many flights took off with only cargo and the pilots, no doubt Willie will include those in his statistics for flights that took off (he won't mention that they carried no passengers, mark my words!).

Bedfont footbal club (our meeting point during the strike) was packed, there was an incredible atmosphere of solidarity and hope. Some very touching speeches too, and many people who drove from all over the country.

Nighbynight, I can't answer your question as I'm not sure. Hopefully not, as the internet is the last beacon of free speech.

Hmm do you think lots of them were like you OSTG having the day off anyway so able to go out for a jolly-oh and some of them would have been "too sick to fly" but well enough for Monday's CSD course.

Flights were being reinstated throughout the day because so many people turned up for work.

Empty flights were moving around ready for Tuesday when this nonsense is over, but there were plenty of flights with passengers, and plenty of cabin crew turning up for work.

If anyone wants a laugh, have a giggle at Steve Turner in the video attached here. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8577573.stm
This is the man everyone is following so passionately!

Onestonetogo What about those who are not employed by BA but are being affected by your strike those small companies who sevice ye who now are worried about their jobs ie no flts no work no jobs? And yes they do exist [catering handlers, fuelers, companies that provide stock for sale etc] They are worried about losing their jobs not their perks.

Buzzybb, I'm not striking for my "perks", but for my job. I don't think a few days strike= caterers will lose their jobs! They may have a educed workload for a few days, but still serve 90% of other airlines at Hethrow. When the posties were on strike I didn't think "Oh those stationary supplies companies will be shutting down"
Silver1, your insinuation that crew turned up yeaterday for a jolly" is an insult; I have wasted enough virtual breath trying to explain why I and 12,000 thousand other crew are on strike but you have your own little idea and won't listen.

OK OSTG "jolly" could have been re-phrased, but so far you still have the ability to go back to work on Tuesday with BA none the wiser.
As I suspect do most who went to your rally-and 12000 cabin crew did not go on strike. I think you miss that point.

Onestonetogo - even your own union aren't quoting 12,001 (thousand - assume that bit was a typo)cabin crew were/are on strike!! I feel sorry for you as you are probably a concientious hard working individual as are the majority of CC, but seem to me to be exactly the type of person your union is targeting to get their hidden agenda supported.

It makes me laugh, (and sad and angry) when I read some of the absurb statistics Unite are coming out with. May be by now those who do not know the information through their own trusted sources are beginning to realise that the Union talks drivel and can not be trusted to be presenting acuurate, factual info to anyone. I guess its a shame that some cc haven't worked this out yet.

I listened to the Radio 4 broadcast and it was indeed very interesting. I didn't realise for example that some BA staff who work on the ground have taken pay cuts, worked for free or taken time off in lieu to try to help the company in the current difficult financial situation. One was on the radio sounding understandably, but politely, miffed about the actions of the cabin crew.
I just hope that Unite do a better job with BA than they did with Rover.

Fluffyone, so have we!!!

OSTG you haven't taken a pay cut-or worked for free.
You want your pay cut offer to be repaid in three years
AND
You want Gatwick who currently work to the cost saving measures to take a paycut so Heathrow don't have to do the samw work-and this was why BA rejected your offer.

You can add the salad dressing any which way you like, but the reality is your strike is obviously not supported in the company-by an awful lot of cabin crew and by most of the public.

Were there really only 200 people at the bedfont rally? I could fill my local school hall with more people, hardly a resounding turnout.....hopefully the cabin crew will get a grip, get a life, get another job or get behind me in the dole queue

This might be stupid to ask but after reading this whole thread I don't understand why some planes leave without passengers now? Isn't that just an absolute waste of time for everyone and of course really bad for the environment? There is probably a really good explanation and I will be when it i pointed out but right now it just seems silly!

When flights were canceled because of the proposed numbers of strikers, freight still needed to be carried, and planes to be positioned to bring people home on the outbound/return flights where there were working crew down route if that makes sense?
AS soon as it became clear that these flights could be crewed BA began selling tickets again but that was too short a time for most people so the flights went empty/with very few people.

BA did take the threat of strikes seriously and prepared for worst case scenarios which didn't really pan out.

OSTG, I do not mean that 'perks' are the reason [am sorry if that is what it sounded like]for the strike yes there are real issues there but when my BIL who works at Heathrow came home after being told loss of a few days may mean protective notice reduce hrs job losses [ may have been just panic now as flts seem to be going]can you expect people to get behind ye to want to understand the issues when the attitude is there are plenty on the dole who will do the job for what is on the table and be grateful, the union is coming out really badly esp when BA can say so many staff came to work obv the Cabin Crew are not united and need to sort out priorities before they strike they need to make sure that they are being kept informed both by BA and the Union which again from the public view pt is not happening.
BA are winning the public vote and that will not help the Cabin Crew
I do feel for those on strike it is never a good poition to be in but I am sorry I feel more for those looking for jobs and/ trying to keep a business afloat in the current climate
On a seperate point Wille Walsh did not bend to Aer Lingus Cabin Crew he will not for the BA cabin crew and he will work the media unlike the Unions who unfortunatly for the Cabin Crew will look like the bad guys

Scaredone - the planes operate without passengers so they are in the right place to bring BA passengers back from wherever they are oversees.

Dh has volunteered all this w/e at LHR, he just home. He escorted many cc to their flights, many were truly terrified of colleagues/union bullying. He was shown some very unpleasant texts from other crew and the union, very disturbing.

Any yes, he took a month unpaid last year and took a pay cut, unlike most cc, to try to prevent BA going bust.

1
cc in a great light!

I have just read these two articles in the Telegraph, regardless of your political direction I thought it made for very interesting reading - especially the second link.

Also I might not have all the facts but would like to highlight that BA seem to be asking you to take a pay freeze, somethinng that other employers have already asked and implimented.

Can I just ask as well, there seems to be a hierarchy and Gatwick seems to be the crap cousin as far as Heathrow are concerned, urhm aren't all cc doing the same job?

OSTG you wrote this to a post of MABS.
"I'd say he's a coward. I'd be very ashamed of myself if I went to work during strike"

So I have to ask, did you show principle and phone in to say you support the strike even though you are not working and therefore have nothing to lose by going to a rally? Or will you let BA assume you were not striking, thus ring fencing your perks for when the strike is broken?

I was thinking about this having dropped DH at T5, where things are running so well he was bumped off as volunteer CC because so many turned up for work. He is now on roster for flying flights that were supposedly canceled for the strike.

BA have also sent a text and press release out confirming what I wrote yesterday, there are NO planes parked up at Shannon and Cardiff.

Doodleydoo, we've already taken a payfreeze and offered BA to cut our wages by nearly 3%. BA refused. Last week they put forward a proposal, the Union said it looked good and they were going to consult each other and get back to them with a decision, at which point Willie retracted the offer (he didn't want to strike a deal, obviously!) and put forward a different, much worse one!

I have bought the Torygraph today, to see if they'd printed mine and other colleagues' interviews (they haven't!).
The article with the Cape Town hotel, very interesting. What a coincidence that they should have picket one of the nicest hotels where we stay. If they had picked the hotel where we stay in Johannesburg you'd see it is a lot worse than an Ibis.
Let me point out that, anywhere we go, we must think of our own personal safety. South Africa is a particularly dangerous place, esp for women, so we need to stay in hotels where security is taken seriously. Very often BA recommend we do not leave the hotel (unless we book private transport), so crew often stay in the hotel premises where, apart from catching up on sleep, we meet up at the bar and drink! Or we might meet up in a crew member's room and drink the booze we purchase on board (yes, we pay for it, we don't steal it!).
My job can be a lonely life, once you get in your hotel room you might miss your DC, feel a bit lonely, sometimes you don't get on with one or two colleagues, so believe me, for your own sanity you do need to socialise with others! Better to make the best of your time available downroute.
But the Torygraph article is obiously biased, and omits to tell a lot of other truths!

Doodley, Gatwick was always the base with more junior, less experienced crew. It used to be called the beach-fleet because of its destinations, but times have changed, crew are a bit scared of partying too much for fear of reprisals. I was there for 3 years, and I have to say some CDSs treat you like a kid, telling you everything! At Heathrow crew are treated as adults, and everyone assumes you know how to do your job.

You're right we're all doing the same job, but Gatwick long haul is probably treated differently from the very top; they often don't have First class and have more economy, holiday-package passengers than the Heathrow premium passengers (these are the ones our management care about).
Very often Gatwick passengers clap their hands on landing (don't do it, the crew will think you're a simpleton), which never happens at Heathrow.
Not sure if this answers your quetions!

otsg , Willie Walsh put the offer on the table, gave your union time to consider it (3 weeks) and ballot on it provided no strikes were called in those three weeks.

UNITE said fine, walked away from the table and announced strike dates.
That was when the offer was withdrawn, and now a worse one is on the table because your strike action has cost BA millions of pounds, they have to recoup that from somewhere, so it comes from the group who caused the loss the striking cabin crew.
No wonder people felt you needed everything constantly explained to you.

Silver, nope- the more "decent" proposal was on the table for 1 day! As soon as Unite said, ok, let us get back to you, Willie's puppets panicked. Their brief was "let them strike, we'll screw them over anyway".
Anyway, why are you on my case? I'm trying to explain things as they happen from this end, and you're just on a personal attack ("no wonder people felt you needed everything constantly explained to you", honestly, no need to be petty! You sound like that pax that once said "I'll have a screwdriver, that's a vodka and orange to you". Rudeness is unnecessary imo).

well written posts Silver. I am sure OSTG made that call, just as all the others in a similar position did....NOT!!!

Yes, the personal attacks on Onestop are a bit harsh. I am glad that she is here to explain the ordinary cabin crew's viewpoint about why they are striking, and it has certainly changed my perception of the whole thing.

Not sure what I would do, but I respect people who stand up for what they believe (even when I may not agree with it). They know they are risking their jobs, they are not stupid, so lay off the personal attacks, please.

Silver1, just seen your question! Stupidly enough (I am a woman of principle you see) I've emailed my manager teling her that if I hadn't been on my days off, I would have been on strike! That's why I could't answer the poster that asked me if I'd lost my travel concessions, the truth is, I'll find out on Monday, when I expect a reply from my manager!
So, no, I'm not scared of standing up for what I believe is right (tho I hope I don't lose my job over this thread... now getting paranoid and trying to remember how much personal info I have disclosed ).

I flew yesterday from Heathrow and I think BA did a brilliant job with their contingency plans. Plane was a bit late, but I expected that, I was grateful that I was able to fly at all during this ludicrous strike.

And the best thing of all?? - the cabin crew actually smiled - it was a Portuguese charter.

They were far more friendly than the usually snotty BA lot.

Nighbynight, when OSTG and the striking crew stop putting my dh's job at risk, and generally screwing up our lives, then i will consider not making personal attacks, not that I have anyway so far, this is an anonymous forum i thought.

If you read the thread properly, you will see she has made more personal attacks than anyone else. Also, not sure i would rely on her words explaining 'ordinary cabin crew viewpoints' there are more who don't agree with her than do, and that has been proved by the number of crew reporting for flights as normal.

Glad you had a good flight itwasntbe.

OSTG - sadly can't see how you would lose your travel concessions, the fact is you didn't strike as you are lucky enough not be on duty during the strike days.