pslewis

British Airways cabin crew have rejected the airline's latest "final" pay offer by 3,419 votes to 1,686.

Almost half the 11,000 affected Unite union members voted on BA's offer of a 2.9% pay rise next year with 3% the year after.

The no vote raises the prospect of new strikes in a dispute which has roots stretching back to before Christmas.

Strikes over the summer?

Jaybird-UK

They can have the whole year off if they let BA go under with people not booking them for fear of strikes.

Then they'd have something to bitch about

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I reckon that will happen, too.

WHEN will UK workers learn? And in the middle of a recession is hardly the time to take on your employer.

FlightMan

Don't worry about BA. Unite are balloting for BAA to strike and if the firemen go out the airports close. Simples.

pslewis

Unite are the new Miners ......

stedee

iTrader: (4)

actually sounds a good offer but there is probably other stuff going on but i know they are the best paid airline staff in the first place due to them being the only one with a union.

thats what happenned at boeing btw , all the machinists went on strike then there were delays on the new 787?? so most of them got laid off.

^Qwerty^

From the BBC website, Tony Woodley: "This is now a wake-up call for Willie Walsh"

I suspect BA don't really care anymore if the Bassa lot go on strike as they appear to have more than enough staff now trained up to provide cover, and thus run a full schedule, or one with very little disruption. I've tried to follow this one, and it looks to me as if the union members have been misled, to the point that some of them are now in a no win situation, the loss of staff travel being one example of how they have lost out. (some crew need ST to get to work) There are also some things legal going on, which I don't, to be honest understand, but reading between the lines, if the union lot go on strike again, BA might well be able to dismiss them?

Torquemada

Yep, they are being led by their own greed basically and don't seem to have any realisation of the trouble they're getting themselves into, via one of the newest super-unions. I hope the BA staff get all they deserve

Wish

iTrader: (2)

To be given any kind of pay rise in these troubled times is a bonus I would say.

These unions should be ashamed of themselves....

c_maguire

In view of what has happened in much of the private sector (one of the companies I visit has cut all the workers' pay by 20%) it is rather tiresome having to listen to all these union members and/or Public Sector workers whingeing about how hard done by they are because they aren't getting the % pay RISES they were promised.
I'd be inclined to tell them to put up or shut up.
Call their bluff.
Remember Ronnie Reagan and the air traffic controllers?

Kevin

Damitro

as a public sector worker myself i have happily accepted under inflation paydeals for the last couple of years now have i or my workmates complained NO as we are all glad to be in work , sick of being tarnished as a bunch of whingeing union sheep , i am not a union fan at all and strike action is in my opinion worthless.

Mikej857

You can guarentee there is more to this than just the pay increase, this is what gets me when people just assume that the employees or union members are at fault and the company is making a good offer without knowing the full details of the offer you really cannot offer an opinion.

There will no doubt be conditions attached to this offer which would guarentee that the employees will without doubt be worse off if they accept the offer which is why they are balloting for strike action.

While i understand now is not the time to be holding your employer to ransom its all down to the employer as to time scale for these things, unite are far from the best union to be a member of but they are fair and only go for strike action as a last resort.

just my 2p's worth

GlesgaKiss

Shame the company can't just get rid of them and train up new cabin crew. Considering the damage this union must be doing it would probably work out cheaper. Plenty of people with no employment would jump at the chance too.

Dedrater

+1

Well, year previous and no increase next 2, then reviewed. Promotion exempt.

Leslie

Do you think this sort of behaviour is good for this country?

Les

Felix.

How many airlines have gone to the wall - sack the striking crews and employ the crews who have lost their jobs.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Exactly!
Those people should be bloody grateful they've got a job!!!

Tidgy

better offer than i've had for two years, money grabbing barstids. when there all out of a job i will point and larf, i have no sympathy for them what so ever, i just hope BA stick to there guns, even if it sends the company under.

Geezer

I'm sure it will leave them worse off in some areas, but that is the nature of these offers. They need to realise that in the current climate, BA needs to reign in some fo the perks that staff get. It's a no brainer. It's utterly irresponsible of the union to do this.

They think they will be worse off after this offer, well it ain't as bad as having no job when BA goes under.

Geezer

Torquemada

That's just not true from my experience of working for and alongside trade unions. It verymuch depends on the union in question but Unite are very fast to jump to militant action.

Trade unions can be useful for workers but all to often they are just keeping slackers in work and have their own vested interests which tend to override any concerns of the members.

Leslie

And also without any concern for the state of the economy as it was left of course by their heroes when in power.

Yes of course they can be expected to do the best for their workers but not at the eventual risk to the country's economy and of course followed by the loss of their members jobs' anyway. Their behaviour appears to be political in all respects and shows no sign of any real responsibility towards the country as a whole!

Les

P1Fanatic

Well we decided against using BA for our flight to OZ in November (via Quantas) due to fear of striking and I wont be using them in the future unless they are a lot cheaper than competitors. Im sure there are plenty more people feeling the same way.

Simon

Richy P1984

The other airlines must be rubbing their hands with glee over all the strike action going on.

I wonder what it will take for BA not to try and screw over the very staff which have given it the 5* service rating it loves to brag about, and uses to attract the publics custom. I also wonder when the unions will realise that constanlty causing disruptions and damaging the reputation of the airline will only lead them down a path to job losses and collapse of the business (extreme situation) - I wonder how clever they will feel then.

Sounds like both the men in charge need to take a step back, put their egos aside and actually put forward a deal which doesnt try to screw the other side over.

And I wish I could get a 2 - 3% pay rise, have had my pay frozen two years in a row, with no hint of it changing. I'd be over the moon with a pay rise to match inflation - Scoobys aint cheap when its a tank every 6 days

pslewis

I would hope that we would all stand up for our rights if our Terms and Conditions were threatened?

However, BA are in trouble ... and changes needed to be made ... but Willie Walsh knows if he can break the Cabin Staff then not one section of BA will kick up when he rolls out the changes across the company.

Mikej857

Agreed everyone whether there a member of a trade union or not has a right to stand up for there rights.

I agree this isnt the best time to be holding BA to ransom and the losers are going to be the employees if BA go's bust but you have also got to look at the fact that the union has tried and still is trying to negociate with BA so they dont have to call for strike action.

stedee

iTrader: (4)

lol, i agree with the sentiments here that they should take the offer, funny enough i`m in unite (power to ther people - lol)
but seriously if you are an employee would you rather work for a company with a union or without. i know my answer, companies take the **** bad when there is no union, i know, been there done it so unions have there uses and what would ba have done if there was no union.

Leslie

Of course there should be unions,to represent the workers of course.

The unions should however adhere to responsible behaviour and not use their power for political purposes.

Les

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I chose to go to Calgary on Thomas Cook from Manchester rather than BA from Heathrow, even though I could have swung Business Class on BA and only got "Premium" on Thomas Cook, which isnt the same, not risking my arrangements on the whims of those who serve the drinks.

Torquemada

Indeed!