Anyone else fancy punching BA in the face?

[Lazydonkey]

(they are no longer a premium carrier who can afford premium staff)

Tragic - I liked BA because they were a premium carrier and I was prepared to pay for it. Is there no room now for a premium carrier? Must we all be dragged down to the lowest level?

It seems to be my lot now continually to regret the passing of a civilised way of life - must be getting old - or have I just had too long a lunch??

Two jags speaks

I think there is a room for a premium carrier that offers real value and a tangible difference - but BA havent offered that on short haul for a good while now. IMHO they've relied on lazy corporates who would automatically book business class seats (my company until 1 year ago would fly you business class GLA-London!!) and for that premuim all you got was a curtain to shield you from cattle class and a doily on the coffee tray.

[DDtB]

The unions of today are businesses like any other trying to make money.

The difference is they pretend to be representing the best interests of their members whereas in reality they couldn't care less.... as long as the money keeps coming in. They know that they don't actually have any real product to offer and see their power slipping away... so every so often they'll make a grand gesture to justify their fees.... but if anyone really thinks the guys running Unite care about new-starts or the current staff at BA... then they're being naive in the extreme. That pretty much goes for anyone else who thinks the union bosses care about them! Go have a look at their salaries and benefits and tell me that they can relate to what the average worker has to deal with!

Unite and the CWU etc. are all run by greedy cnut with only their own interests at heart.

It's time to get rid of the old and re-examine the whole union system in this country... it's a total farce!

Now fetch me another bottle of Chianti, all this ranting is thirsty work!!!

[campbell]

Brian, there is indeed space for premium carriers but one line mentioned on the news today is that likes of Etihad and Emirates, even Virgin, are in a position to offer cracking service to those prepared to pay a bit extra, but the bit extra is still a lot less than for BA premium services and without the risk of strikes every few months!

I get the impression BA as an operator has finally woken up and smelled the coffee (they blew quite an opportunity when they sold off GO actually). But BA's predominant staff base is NOT living in the current real world and in fact I wonder if, had the court stuff not happened today, the Flyglobespan news would have shaken many of them to their senses.

When are the moaners in this country going to realise we all need to pull together to see this recession through, and if you are smart enough to assist your employer to be able to keep you in your job, you and your colleagues might just stand a chance of a return to "normality" in 2 or 3 years time?

I don't understand enough about unionisation etc to comment definitively, but it certainly seems to me that there are bunches of union officials busily trying to justify their existence with all sorts of "action" when in fact the laws of economics are what need followed for a while. End of.

I haven't seen a pay rise in a while, don't expect to see one for another year or two, in fact I am actively considering a cut through change of career direction, but instead of finding someone to blame I'm trimming back our expenditure, trying to save something away in an "emergency fund", and thinking a lot more laterally about how our income and outgoings are operating. Crikey, I had my first sandwich from Pret a Manger in months today...they got kicked into touch last year even before the Recession hit!! It's been home-made wraps ever since then

Campbell

[fd]

The UNITE union monkey on the TV tonight showed that they are truly a bunch of clueless monkeys . . . 'the law is wrong' . . . FFS . . . you can't even organise a ballot that meets the rules that are YOUR DOMAIN to fully understand . . . I wouldn't pi$$ on scum like that if it were on fire . . . unless I could pi$$ petrol . . . but I'm sure his salary is secure . . . a leech on society . . . and should be eradicated . . .

These union leaders should be shot . . . they are simply too stupid to represent their members . . .

If the BA staff don't turn up for work, sack them and replace them with people who understand the realities of life today . . . and make that crystal clear to them now . . . perhaps get Simon Cowel to tell them all on X-Factor so they really believe it . . .

This country is fecked . . . I'm going abroad . . .

Fd

[Brian J]

Brian, there is indeed space for premium carriers but one line mentioned on the news today is that likes of Etihad and Emirates, even Virgin, are in a position to offer cracking service to those prepared to pay a bit extra, but the bit extra is still a lot less than for BA premium services and without the risk of strikes every few months!
Campbell

But we've just been quoted £1000 more than BA to fly Virgin to Barbados and be served by staff who, according to BBC news, are on subsistence wages - something wrong there?

[tut]

Come on Fergus, out of the closet and say what you really think.

tut

[alicrozier]

Yeah, quality rant...

...and I pretty much agree with every word.
(on the going abroad bit I need to choose somewhere nicer than last time though!)

[campbell]

Brian, there is indeed space for premium carriers but one line mentioned on the news today is that likes of Etihad and Emirates, even Virgin, are in a position to offer cracking service to those prepared to pay a bit extra, but the bit extra is still a lot less than for BA premium services and without the risk of strikes every few months!
Campbell

But we've just been quoted £1000 more than BA to fly Virgin to Barbados and be served by staff who, according to BBC news, are on subsistence wages - something wrong there?

ah well I stand corrected...I guess I was thinking more of the middle eastern routes, was looking at Emirates for flights to Abu Dhabi GP next year and the costs were most attractive

anyway I hear Saltcoats is nice this time of year!

[campbell]

This country is fecked . . . I'm going abroad . . .

Fd

Certainly tempting.

But it'll be OK soon...the Scot Nats will have us independent and our problems will all be solved. Apparently.

[gorrie]

I hadn't realised the terms for existing staff was just a pay freeze. I had some sympathy for them until I heard that. The BA staff need to take a peek outside their goldfish bowl & see what's going on elsewhere.

I didn't get a rise this year, nor last year... and won't be getting one next year either.
Gone are the days of us getting 8-10% Bonuses at Christmas time... haven't had a bonus of any kind for a couple of years now.
In the UK (& also Globally), our division lost 30% headcount this year... & any new headcount was in 'low cost geographical regions'.
Our colleagues in the USA were forced to take 2 weeks unpaid leave & were told which 2 weeks they had to take (they don't have the same legal protection over there). The company reached out to all non-North America regions & 'asked' staff if they would take a temporary pension contribution cut, temporary salary cut, or take 6 days unpaid leave... and they got an 80% voluntary uptake from all of us in EMEA.
Our company hasn't been unprofitable throughout the economic downturn either. This was all in an effort to put us at the top of our game for when the market returned..
This action allowed our company to freeze any further lay-offs in the 2nd half of 2009, keep decent cash flow, and ultimately it allowed us to aquire a very large competitor who were filing for bankrupcy.

While it's possible there could be more streamlining in 2010 (especially with the integration of the competitor we aquired), if we had all acted in a manner to stage a 12 day walk-out, for sure there would have been many more people laid off before the new year.

So yes, from where I sit... BA staff need a good slap back to reality..(maybe a punch in the face is a bit strong though)

[Lazydonkey]

I hadn't realised the terms for existing staff was just a pay freeze. I had some sympathy for them until I heard that.

And that's exactly why i blame the union for stoking up hysteria of a non issue.

[Andy G]

just love the fact the highcourt pointed out the fundamental idoicacy of this bunch of f*chwits

What i can understand is why you'd want to try and cause unimaginable damage to your employer by even agreeing to this course of action? Long term impact?

I was staggered to learn how much some of the stewardess earn (in long haul) - no wonder they are struggling. (approx £50k pa)

BA have to react to the current market otherwise its not going to go far in 2010

I hope all the "Unite" members now ask for their membership £££'s back sighting incompetency!