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?

erm..this thread seems to have lost its way somewhat!

i come at this from the perspective of an employee of a major corporate finance firm - at any given moment BA owes the firm lots of money. That is normal. Whilt BA is doing well, it is great in fact, and we are happy to extend our exposure...

every time there is a negative news item it causes companies like the one i work for to consider whether they want BA to have that much of our money, does it really warrant that much trust? Any company that loses that trust, will find it harder to trade..

In the current financial crap, we have seen some giants fall, that probably no-one expected to fall.

Maybe the union don't think it can happen to them?

but it can, and every time something with as powerful a negative effect as this strike has - not just short term on its immediate sales, but long term to its reputation - BA's position as a blue chip financial giant is damaged.

before my husband was made unemployed, they offered a 30% pay cut.. if only he'd kept his job long enough to just get a pay cut!
so from my perspective, you have a right to strike, but i don't have any sympathy for those choosing to exercise it. It looks foolhardy.

yummy Hurrah! I am really pleased for you and your family

eggy so sorry to hear your story. I hope your husband has found alternative work. I was listening today to an article saying that the loss from the strike is relatively small and other areas of the business are stronger than anticipated. Therefore the strike will fail, and your company should be fine. Try not to worry... I know, I know.

OSTG - do you know not one of your posts has made anyone sympathetic towards your cause, so now you are striking, being nasty and have nothing logical to say. Just proves the articles about bullying etc aren't lies.

I think the nasty posts prove that actually there is no real reason for the strike as you haven't come up with anything that supports it.

With posts like eggys it just proves that this strike won't just affect BA but others too and the long term reputation of the company, and if well qualified and experienced members of society can't find work - what are the glorified waitresses (oh sorry midair midwives) going to do? Just remember with the current climate non of us are going to be able to afford to go out so there won't be any on the ground waitressing jobs for you!

Yes I wonder if this strike will lead BA to consider compulsory redundancies...

I wonder how the CC will feel then.

carrot,I ad a good time on the picket line today as I was doing something I feel strongly about, which is to fight to protect my job and conditions. OP's children's flight (which was re-sceduled by the way)was a few days' holidays, for me and my children this strike could be the difference bewteen being able to pay the mortgage or having to apply for a council flat.
Us cc have always maintained that we are the ones that put our pax first, while BA only want the pax's wallets! I was holding a pax's hand 2 weeks ago after her mother had died that same day! Willie will never know of all the pax who've told me I had made their flight special (some have written to BA tho), or about the pax I've treated for asthma attacks, epileptic fits, convulsions and a miscarriage. I know I am a good cabin crew and I treat pax with respect (even the ones who clap their hands lol). But we're not discussing that!
We do a thankless job and the rason why our pax keep cming bacvk to us is because of the cabin crew, not because of Willie Walsh!

But instead I'm here, surrounded by bitter pilots'wives (are you typing wearing your pashminas? sorry I have this picture in my head) who are either jealous of my job, of their husbands, or just very right-wing.
How else do you explain someone who wants to see a workforce working unsociable hourse, xmas, birthdays and holidays, having their internal organs screwed up by pressurisation, and their bodies affected by jetlag, al for £1,200 a month (this is what the reduction would mean, this is probably a bit more than what a crew member on the new fleet would take home)?
Now, I hope I don't have to explain to you the difference between my job and other jobs that pay this amount per month? If someone chooses a small, admin office job and is happy with that salary then good for them. But for what I do that salary is an insult.

The bottom line is that our managers have screwed up big time, so you all agree the workers at the bottom have to fork out with their own wages?

I can just see you all putting a big fat cross next to David Cameron's name (still wearing your pashminas!), but it doesn't mean that the rest of the world, esp the workers you so much want to see jobless, need to subscribe to your brand of Thathcerism or Gordonbrownism, they're pretty much the same capitalist pigs.

I for one will vote for the Socialists!!!

Pinkfizzle, I like that vid of Britney, it taps into the male sexual fantasy of a stewardess. I wish we had a hat like that

oh I see - the pilots who fly the planes do NOT working unsocial hours then???

I suspect OSTG is keeping her head down after all of her PR gaffs on behalf of the cabin crew.
Or perhaps she has gone to look up where Mumbai is in relation to Bombay

iwastooearlytobeayummymum... I am delighted volunteers have helped your son get away on his trip. I can understand why you wont be choosing to fly BA at this time, but I really hope you will give the airline another chance. Whilst OSTG may be an example of some of the factions of cabin crew there are still plenty of them out there willing to give passengers a pleasant experience without sneering at them or taking joy out of the disappointment of children.

OSTG - Socialist - you won't get what you are currently earning with them or what your are projecting!

But you are digging yourself in the grave as you have said in earlier posts you earn less than that already. Regardless of what you say, we don't want to see you jobless - that doesn't really help does it as then the govt would have to pay for you, but you are doing yourselves no favours and may well end up in that situtation anyway and it has NOTHING to do with your politics or ours.

The other thing - ffs stop making digs at the wives of pilots, they are justified in being concerned about their families just like you are, but their oh's have had the sense to negotiate appropriately and not let their unions dictate to them.

Also OSTG can I ask how your manager reacted to your text that you would have been on strike if you could?

I am sorry but are you qualified to treat passengers for a miscarriage? Really????

I am now very concerned - also I don't know why you so detest the wives of pilots (do you fly with female pilots - and how do you treat them?).

How do you provide service on flights when you discover that shock horror - one of your passengers is married to a pilot?

Onestone you have always come across as very committed to customer care and I am sure you are very capable in your job.

However I fail to understand how you haven't made the connection between your customers' perception of your cause and your own.By you I mean the 'royal you' iyswim. There has been no public support for this strike, quite the opposite in fact with much being made of the pax pound being spent with other carriers

Do you, hand on heart believe BA has retained customer loyalty as a result of this action ?
and do you also genuinely believe you have secured your long term future?

Ona final note, I do wish this thread had not taken on such a mean spirited tone

OSTG I thought you currently took home £900 a month, be hard to see how that could be reduced down to £12,00

Wont even dignify the pashminas comment, I am not sure they match the wig I used to wear for work.

Capitalism is what gets passengers to pay your salary, and there is nothing that you have written on here that suggests you treat them with respect.

As has been said before some CC earn more than pilots, as has been said before you are very well paid just for turning up, with bonuses for doing your jobs.
Let us be clear you are a well paid waitress who've had some advanced first aid training, and a course in making cocktails paid for by BA, and let us also be very clear, the people who clean the toilets on the aircraft and those who drive you around whilst you bitch about the passengers, and compare expensive shopping sprees and moan about having to pay your mortgage on several times what they earn, they are the bottom of the pile of workers at BA.

Doodley, yes I earn a lot less than that as I'm part time! That figure was the projection for full time!

Indeed, their husband's unions are more powerful and would never strike a deal with BA if it didn't suit them. And good for them I say!

Pinkfizzle, yes of course pilots fly unsociable hours too, I was comparing my job with a "normal" job along the same earning bracket. Sorry I thought that was clear enough.

Silver, the reason why I called it Bombay is because its 3-letter code is still BOM (ask your DH, he'll confirm that) so easy to say Bombay as opposed to Mumbay.

Beanpot, I'll drink and/or go to bed when I want to if that's ok with you?

OSTG-I think you are now becoming extremely rude and condescending whilst making sweeping statements about things you have assumed rather than know. Why are you so against pilots and their wives who according to you are jealous of your job,their husbands or are very right wing? I think you miss the point entirely and haven't got a clue. All this makes you sound bitter and playing the victim. You are not doing yourself any favours. Initially, despite my completely other end of the spectrum views to you, I was prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt, but the lack of respect for pax, BA and your colleagues changes my view of you completely. When I fly with BA (staff travel or as a revenue pax) I hope you are not cc on my flight- perhaps you won't have a job anyway.

You must be deluded to think that 'pax keep cming bacvk to us because of the cabin crew' - there are so many reasons and this is not one of the ones at the top of the list. You obviously don't know or listen to your customers.

iwastooearly there has been many unpleasant comments on this thread, none of which was your fault for starting - I think someone would have brought this subject up somewhere and there are many who have been affected by it and therefore it is an emotional topic for all involved.

Also like any argument, if there are only a few points vs many many valid reasons against (striking vs not striking) then name calling is going to happen and just going to get nasty

Yummy - Hope your kids have a great trip, glad they could get away on BA!!

FWIW:
I have voted Lib Dem all my adult life
I dont read the DM
I have my own fulfilling job
My neck is too short to wear scarves and pashminas, they look dreadful
I would make the worlds worst hostie, not polite enough, and intolerant, so there's no way I am jealous of OSTG!
I ALWAYS thank the cc when I leave a flight because I think that the vast majority do a good job in demanding conditions (conditions they did know about when they took the job)

Interesting that no one has highlighted the huge differences between Virgin and BA cc pay - Virgin provide just as classy a service on their long haul routes, and have nights away from home, etc etc etc but for a fraction of the salary paid at BA. Wonder how they manage it?

"BA only want the pax's wallets!"

Sweetheart, the only reason that the company is in business is to take the "pax"'s wallets.

Oh, guess what, that's the only reason ANY company is in business - even entirely philanthropic businesses.

If you are struggling to pay the mortgage, work more hours (you have a whole MONTH off at a time). Or move to a smaller house. Or do any of the other things people do to make ends meet. You seem to be totally unable to understand that you are simply killing the golden goose. Fewer eggs are better than meat today-none tomorrow.

Bearing in mind that the "pax's wallets" pay your wages, I think taking them is a darned good idea, personally!

Don't you see? We DON'T want to see anyone jobless. That's the point.

Blimey, talk about beating one's head against a brick wall.

I find it fascinating that it is important to people how much cabin crew earn or that some may earn more than others for whatever role they may do within BA it just doesn't matter does it?

The fact is that this is about a group of people defending themselves against proposed changes to their terms and conditions.

It is without doubt a fact that nearly every single person when told that they will be getting a reduction in pay whilst being told they must work harder, for longer and for more hours/days a week, month or year would protest. Whether that be in a 1-2-1 with their managers, at home to their partner, or on mass with other trade union members.

I know that this really does effect people (me included) but I completely support the trade unions in this and i strongly believe that the day this country loses the power of the people to protest will be a sad day.

Silver: please explain:

• we get paid well for "turning up"? as opposed to not turning up? Some trips are paid well (5 days south africa £450 in total), some are not (3 day India £60), you just do what trip you get. Most times the money a trip is worth doesn't cover the cost of childcare,

• what bonuses do we get for doing our job? We get no bonuses!

• the "waitressing" side of my job makes up for about 30% of what my work is actually about. But you wouldn't know unless you tried it.

• sorry I don't get why you're having a go at other workers as well? The toilet cleaners and bus drivers? They're decent people, I've never had any problems with them, why are you bringing them into the conversation?

OSTG can you please advise what you would typically do on a flight from LHW to say Capetown or JBurg.

Ta

AWinHW can you explain how the power of the people to protest will pay their wages if the company can't survive because (some) employees won't amend their Ts and Cs in such a way as to make them affordable?

Your payments were explained in another post.
I am tired of repeating things for you.

I am not having a go at other workers just saying that they are the bottom of the pile and not you and the rest of the cabin crew.

Interesting to see how many people are turning up to work. I too am curious to see the response to the email you sent saying you are supporting the strike and want to be treated like a striker.

I've been off this thread for a while but I am dismayed to come back and find out that I am a pashmina wearing jealous pilot's wife who thinks my husband is going to shag the next cc he can..........sorry?? What an earth does this have to do with you and your fellow strikers jeapardising my husband's career and my family's welfare by destroying our airline? You are deluded OSTG and are now adding insult to injury. As many other posters have said you are not doing you or your "cause" any favours.

OSTG one of the things that BA want to introduce for cc is more flexible rostering, meaning you would get more of a choice of trip, more inline with the pilots' bidlines. But BASSA rejected that, along with the crewing changes, etc, believing that it would win against WW. Moaning about your poorly paid triplines on here isnt going to help - why not see your union rep and ask why you're not allowed to have what the management offered?? I am genuinely interested to know what communication cc get directly from the company about proposals, or is it all filtered through BASSA, who then choose what to tell their members?