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?

Well - this is taken from a previous AIBU thread ? someone was asking whether they were BU in thinking that just kissing someone else isn't so bad?

Response from OSTG

It depends... if you're a cabin crew on a stopover somewhere exotic, you've had a few drinks, then go for it. Live for the moment, enjoy the kiss. Life is far too short.

It sounds like OSTG has had her share of exotic travel -so maybe her giving up the travel perks is not really a bother to her.

bigfatbosslady- I confess to have had some wonderful snogs downroute, which means whilst away on a trip, which doesn't mean I was using my travel concessions like you say. What's your point anyway?? That I've travelled therefore I don't need to travel? I mean, really, if that's the point you're trying to make then I prefer the Pilots Wives telling me their DHs jobs are far more important than mine.

OSTG Ok - I do think that the role of a pilot is more important that your role, for the simple fact that they are in charge of the plane - you are not.

This does not mean that your job is not important - you may support your family and earn an honest living, but sorry I think the role of the pilot is much more important.

I have to confess to hardly notice CC on flights - so I am sure that you could find time to sneak to the toilet on a flight.

Have been following this thread with interest, pashminas and all .

Can OSTG or other cc expain how they are rota'd on board? I'm confused how you don't have time to go to the loo on a long haul flight when you must get a break to rest/sleep plus the lights are switched off for passengers to sleep anyway? How do things work on shorter flights?

goldenticket maybe OSTG is too busy snogging on a flight to go to the loo?

Silver1....I might have guessed you were a pilots wife... with you bitter remarks!!....you obviously don't fly that often on your husbands concessions as you would know that the CSD's actually do work....They are part of the service, even before this role which started in November, they just were not probably working in First class where you were sitting....

As I said before each individual has their role on an aircraft.... Silver1... just respect those roles.... I respect my flight crew colleagues and I have always had a good relationship with them, we are all equals...

I am not demanding enhanced benefits....and we are not demanding a pay increase...in fact we offered a pay cut... so get your facts right before you make such remarks...

I suggest that rather than spend your life on this website you actually go and do something useful instead of trying to belittle people on here...

When I am not working for BA I actually spend my time counselling people...people who have real problems.... so this little discussion forum is just that ... a discussion forum.... don't turn it into a battle ground of crew verses piolts/pilots wives.... I am really not into such childish behaviour...

Oh, and the counselling work I do is voluntary... I don't get paid a penny for it... I really enjoy helping people and making a difference in their lives..... and I do.........

So please Silver1 ... go and chill...

It wasnt a battleground until a certain cc started having a go at pilots and their wives... I do think one is allowed to defend onself against personal insults.

And yes, we know about the paycut Bassa offered...yawn...it was too little, too late, as well you know.

genuine question to maddy are you not glad that your employer supports you with flexible working - so that you can do counselling work that you find fulfilling?

I work 75% for 75% of the pay....My son is autistic so that was one of the main reasons why I took part time... to spend more time with him... now he is at school, I am able to use my qualifications to help others...whilst he is not at home. This is rewarding, and it helps me to see that I am not the only person who has problems.

Yes I am grateful that BA supports flexible working, my husband also works part time, it is the only way that we can support our childcare.

I have not come on here to battle with piolts wives or anyone else... I was trying to put forward the cabin crew side... whether you agree or disagree with it, I have been honest and factual.

The paycut was offered last year...

If we cannot have a sensible discussion ladies then go and bitch somewhere ele as I am not here to be hung drawn and quartered by people who do not know the full facts..

Thank you

Some remarks are getting bitchy and are off topic, and simply making some ba ccs posters look completely foolish. Don't expect the public to support your strike, however much you explain your position. Don't insult members who are pilot wives by suggesting that play away!

Also Note AIBU threads:
'Please bear in mind that this topic encourages posters to give their opinions - i.e. they might disagree with you. That said, in line with our Talk policy elsewhere, we don't allow personal attacks no matter how unreasonable you think someone is. Do report any you see. Thanks, MNHQ'

Feel free to click away...

This from pprune (one of your colleagues and a sentiment shared by 95% of the posts I've seen on there:
BA are obviously going to roster striking crews to come in during the next strike. They either do not come in and continue to be unpaid and BA has lost nothing, or they begin to change their minds and come back to work. BA has nothing to lose and everything to gain by rostering current strikers to come to work during the next strike period.

My personal thoughts on the strike so far. BA are totally 100% in control of the situation. There is obviously loss of revenue, but nothing that is above what BA was expecting and therefore it was all very well pre-planned. BA did not back down at the 11th hour because they know that this extent of pain is acceptable and they know what their contingency plans are. Unite can only guess and have no contingency other than to continue with the rhetoric. The cabin crew have no contingency other than to use their credit cards... No wonder the Chairman is saying that Willie is doing a great job - it is all proceeding like clockwork.

Unite claim that this strike is damaging BA and so is not in its interest. BA have done the figures, they know what is in their interest and what is not. Of course the strike is damaging revenue at present, but long term this will be recovered from either the striking crew or perhaps Unite themselves?

Overall I am dead certain that this dispute is still in fact absolutely in BA's long term interest. The flip side of the coin is that it is most definitely not in the long term, short term, or any kind of term for that matter, interests of the striking cabin crew.

One day you will all come to realise this. The only thing I am unsure of, is how long it will take for the penny to drop, and how much money you yourselves will have lost in the meantime."

CC, can you not see that your union has screwed up the negotiations? Please open your eyes. I'm not a pilots wife, i'm a passenger, and not in for any mudslinging, thank you.

pprune

Denisefabre the law is clear in the way that you seem to be missing.

When the baggage handlers went on strike some of them lost their right to staff travel. Staff travel is a concession, it is NOT a term of employment therefore you can return to your job on your terms of employment and still have lost staff travel.
There are a number of ways of losing staff travel and still being employed on the same T&Cs as everyone else, go ask the baggage handlers who lost theirs.
BA has taken some very sound legal advice about this-the law is clear, it is your union trying to keep you out on strike who are fudging it-even they don't claim to have the law on their side in public statements.

OSTG I wish you would read this thread properly, there are a few BA wives who don't support the strike, but there are passengers, business people and intelligent women on here as well saying the strike is wrong, and you are not trying to sleep with their husbands (which is the whole implication of your puerile comments)

Maddyjensen you may currently be signed off work, but this strike will take a long time to resolve, at some point you are going to be well enough to return to BA, even if not as CC, then you will have to decide if you are striking or not. If you are you will lose travel concessions anyway. Therefore I would be surprised that a solicitor following their code of conduct (lots of professions have them you know) would be rushing to an ET with your claim without that question first being clarified.

maddyjensen you came on to put your side forward and insult the experiences of people on here.
I do fly- mainly out of Gatwick CC are nicer, but I don't fly often because my husband doesn't earn as much as you.
If you do counsel I suggest you step back and consider whether with the attitude you have demonstrated on here you are doing anyone any good.
Also if you are currently counseling but not fit to work you are possibly in breach of your T&Cs and leaving your GP in a legally precarious situation.

Hi Silver, thanks for asking , ds was quite poorly again, but doing well now,dh even had to come home as ds was so rough! he's back up there doing other peoples' jobs again now tho

And, as I keep saying to the posters who are talking about 'pilots wives' disagreeing with the srtike, I assure you that many other BA departments' wives are totally opposed too, I am one of them. And ,oh yeah, I am pretty well informed as i am an ex csd myself,albeit quite a while ago.

I kind of wonder if the CC on here who have been nasty about pilots and their wives are very unhappy with their status in life - as why else would you generalise and make such awful comments. Also - why not define people on their own terms - rather than the wife of a pilot?

Also does anyone else who fly wear scarves or pashmina's due to the cool draughts on flights - I have in my head visions of OSTG thinking we are all married to pilots and providing customer service through gritted teeth - so I do not think I will risk flying BA again...

Mabs - good well wishes to your ds.

maddy - thank you very much for answering my question.
silver has a point though about you possibly breaching your T&C's.

MABS What a nasty scare, glad he is on the mend.
I hope you all get a break soon from this cabin crew nonsense, but sadly I think this will go on for a while.

Take care.

As an utterly objective observer with no connections to either side in the dispute I have to say that any sympathy I had for the strikers has pretty much evaporated reading this thread.

weblette I felt bad for a lot of the strikers on Thursday and Friday, but the way this thread has gone, I don't any more.

I am only sorry that people who have read this thread or seen the strike action have decided to no longer fly with BA, because of the actions of what is increasingly apparent a few of the CC.

It won't stop me flying BA, Silver, the company's going to need all the support it can get in the coming months.

Whiflegarden thanks for the prrune link - interesting that the link describes Cabin Crew as "The other half of the airborne team who put up with the self-loading freight."

So much for a customer service ethos?

Maybe is BA do employ gap year type placements then customers will get better service - also it may help to alleviate youth unemployment - which has got to be a good thing.

I sort of started to lose sympathy when the ability to mix a Kir royale was cited as justification for pay. Given the antics of the CC who have contributed to this thread, I now have as much empathy with your situation as I do for the bankers who are hard done by Wondering if the Daily Wail will pick up on this thread ?

Sassybeast don't forget they also know their wine and cheeses.

the issue is that the cc posting on here were expecting an empathy bear reaction but they forgot that mumsnetters do also have exposure to real life and are customers too.

I too have no connection to eitherside, but having read this thread have lost any sympathy for the strikers

I've followed this thread from the beginning but think it might be time to stop before it gets really messy and vindictive. Points have been made, arguments given, there'll never be an agreement so let's just agree to walk away and have some cake?

although it did make me laugh when BigRedTomato 'goaded' OneStoneToGo so much that she uttered the words "how am I supposed to know what part you tell me is genuine and which is bullshit?"

think I'm going to hide this thread now, spend way too much time catching up on the days posts during the evenings