BA wins injunction to stop the strike

[lucky]

It is surely wrong for over 90% of a workforce of 14000 to vote in favour of strike action only for it to stopped by a high court judge. Reason behind it is an administrative technicality which would not have effect the outcome. The union can not even appeal in less there is legal error.

Why are Unite still funding the Labour party? The Labour party have had 12 years to overturn the anti trade union laws. It has to be a human right for individuals to withdraw their labour if their employer is behaving in an unreasonable manner.

Again workers suffer, again the High court backs employers, again the UK is made to look a joke country with no respect or rights for its citizens.

Very sad day indeed.

[MyJo]

Maybe we should let them strike and give jobs to the flyglobespan staff who are unemployed now

[lucky]

Maybe we should support them in their fight to safe guard their pay and conditions and jobs. Also why has the Scottish Government or Westminster not stepped in to help safeguard these Globespan jobs? if its good enough for the banks why not Scotland's biggest airline?

[RyeSloan]

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Maybe we should support them in their fight to safe guard their pay and conditions and jobs. Also why has the Scottish Government or Westminster not stepped in to help safeguard these Globespan jobs? if its good enough for the banks why not Scotland's biggest airline?

That's pay and conditions and jobs that are a significant contributor to the company to be loss making...how many will still have pay and conditions and jobs if the company goes bust ala Globespan? None.

BA moved to prevent a strike that would have been a brutal blow to the company as a whole and resulted in severe losses...the mere threat of strike has probably cost BA millions already, a strike by Unite would and could only be self defeating...the greatest of all phyrric victories.

Fact is Unite goofed by balloting people that it shouldn't have...personally I would blame ermmm Unite for that!!

[PiemanP]

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Maybe we should let them strike and give jobs to the flyglobespan staff who are unemployed now

[Sauzee07]

The BA staff who voted for strike action need a reality check. Are they totally oblivious to what is going on in their industry at the moment?

Given the speed that their company is losing money and the struggle that the airline industry finds itself in they are lucky that they are still in employment!

I really do wonder sometimes.

[GlesgaeHibby]

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Maybe we should support them in their fight to safe guard their pay and conditions and jobs. Also why has the Scottish Government or Westminster not stepped in to help safeguard these Globespan jobs? if its good enough for the banks why not Scotland's biggest airline?

Maybe they would deserve support if they actually had a valid cause. BA flight attendants get better pay than most carriers, and to strike at Christmas and disrupt thousands of people who have paid good money to get home to be with their family and friends is out of order.

[lucky]

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The BA staff who voted for strike action need a reality check. Are they totally oblivious to what is going on in their industry at the moment?

Given the speed that their company is losing money and the struggle that the airline industry finds itself in they are lucky that they are still in employment!

I really do wonder sometimes.

so do I wonder just because a company is going through a bad patch the workers suffer. When BA were making millions in profits did the workers get extra pay? NO. The shareholders got a big fat dividend. Now that they are not making as much the workers have to suffer. Its attitudes like this that allowed Thatcher to introduce the most draconian labour laws in Europe.

[GlesgaeHibby]

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so do I wonder just because a company is going through a bad patch the workers suffer. When BA were making millions in profits did the workers get extra pay? NO. The shareholders got a big fat dividend. Now that they are not making as much the workers have to suffer. Its attitudes like this that allowed Thatcher to introduce the most draconian labour laws in Europe.

They earn a fantastic salary compared to other carriers:

BA £29,900
Easyjet £20,200
Jet2.Com £16,300
Virgin £14,400

Striking at a time of year that would only going anger customers by ruining the festive season for thousands, and do BA's already poor fortunes at the minute more damage.

[Barney McGrew]

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The BA staff who voted for strike action need a reality check. Are they totally oblivious to what is going on in their industry at the moment?

I know a few people who work for BA, and many are very disappointed with the way Unite have handled the whole strike ballot. They were led to believe in the lead up to the vote that any planned stoppages would be a rolling programme of three day stoppages beginning in January. They were as shocked as anyone when the details were announced after the result came out.

The likely outcome now is a re-ballot, which could be pretty interesting. Chances are, it will be nowhere near the landslide it was this time.

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They earn a fantastic salary compared to other carriers:

BA £29,900
Easyjet £20,200
Jet2.Com £16,300
Virgin £14,400

To be fair, while they do earn more than other airlines, those figures are inaccurate. The BA one includes all the allowances and shift pay, while the other ones are just basic salary.

One other thing I would mention is that Unite have got a ****ing cheek anyway. A few years ago, BA chose to farm out all their ground operations in Scotland and the North of England which resulted in hundreds of job losses - far more than would be lost if this industrial action is unsuccessful. What did the unions do to support their members up here - not a jot. Shame they didn't take such a moral stand then, eh?

[ArabHibee]

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They earn a fantastic salary compared to other carriers:

BA £29,900
Easyjet £20,200
Jet2.Com £16,300
Virgin £14,400

Striking at a time of year that would only going anger customers by ruining the festive season for thousands, and do BA's already poor fortunes at the minute more damage.

Can I just point out that just because BA staff get a better salary than all their rivals then they are supposed to just sit there and take a swift one to the goolies because they have better pay? I don't think so.
Everyone lives to their income and if its under threat you're not going to sit there and think 'well if I worked for Virgin I would be on 10 grand less, so aye ok, cut my salary'.

On another note, anyone else think the High Court judge may have had flights booked over the Christmas period with British Airways?

[GlesgaeHibby]

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Can I just point out that just because BA staff get a better salary than all their rivals then they are supposed to just sit there and take a swift one to the goolies because they have better pay? I don't think so.
Everyone lives to their income and if its under threat you're not going to sit there and think 'well if I worked for Virgin I would be on 10 grand less, so aye ok, cut my salary'.

On another note, anyone else think the High Court judge may have had flights booked over the Christmas period with British Airways?

They aren't cutting their salaries, it's a 2 year pay freeze.

It's ok for the public sector to take a pay freeze, so it should be ok for these guys too.

[ArabHibee]

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They aren't cutting their salaries, it's a 2 year pay freeze.

It's ok for the public sector to take a pay freeze, so it should be ok for these guys too.

Fair enough but I'd still be peed off being told to take a 2 year pay freeze when the cost of living continues to rise.

[lucky]

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They aren't cutting their salaries, it's a 2 year pay freeze.

It's ok for the public sector to take a pay freeze, so it should be ok for these guys too.

That's a pay cut as inflation goes up your wage remains static as such its a cut. They are also attacking their conditions and are having less people doing the job. Therefore increasing productivity of the workers and reducing their pay.


It is not right that public sector workers get a pay freeze to fund bailing out the banks.

Workers of the world unite

[Barney McGrew]

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That's a pay cut as inflation goes up your wage remains static as such its a cut. They are also attacking their conditions and are having less people doing the job. Therefore increasing productivity of the workers and reducing their pay

They're proposing a headcount reduction on long haul flights from 15 staff to 14.

Hardly a massive change.

[Hibbyradge]

Those salaries don't include all the allowances.

Long hual BA cabin staff can earn up to £60k a year.

Yes, really.

[GlesgaeHibby]

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I know a few people who work for BA, and many are very disappointed with the way Unite have handled the whole strike ballot. They were led to believe in the lead up to the vote that any planned stoppages would be a rolling programme of three day stoppages beginning in January. They were as shocked as anyone when the details were announced after the result came out.

The likely outcome now is a re-ballot, which could be pretty interesting. Chances are, it will be nowhere near the landslide it was this time.



To be fair, while they do earn more than other airlines, those figures are inaccurate. The BA one includes all the allowances and shift pay, while the other ones are just basic salary.

One other thing I would mention is that Unite have got a ****ing cheek anyway. A few years ago, BA chose to farm out all their ground operations in Scotland and the North of England which resulted in hundreds of job losses - far more than would be lost if this industrial action is unsuccessful. What did the unions do to support their members up here - not a jot. Shame they didn't take such a moral stand then, eh?

Having read a little more, I can see that the figures quoted for BA salary is not base pay. However, some cabin crew are earning up to £800 allowances on top of a salary for having to travel to far flung locations.

It's not a bad package!

[Barney McGrew]

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Having read a little more, I can see that the figures quoted for BA salary is not base pay. However, some cabin crew are earning up to £800 allowances on top of a salary for having to travel to far flung locations.

It's not a bad package!

You're right it isn't bad at all, and one that many people would think twice about taking up as a career. As Hibbyradge says, depending on seniority/length of service/routes flown/over time etc. they can earn a pretty penny, which makes it all the more strange that they're happy to rock the boat. As I said before, I think Unite have been guilty of a good bit of misrepresentation to the staff prior to the ballot taking place.

They get to go to some great places, but pretty much the longest they're there is two nights (and even then it would be arriving late one night, staying there the next day and then an early start the next). They've also got places that they're escorted to and from the hotels and need to stay there for their stay because they're so dangerous to be in.

BA also got rid of Glasgow as a crew base round about the same as they punted the groundstaff, which means they're all now based out of London. So anyone that works for BA but lives up here has to pay for their own travel down to London in the first place.

[IndieHibby]

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Fair enough but I'd still be peed off being told to take a 2 year pay freeze when the cost of living continues to rise.

But what if the other option was to lose your job entirely? Would you still be peed off then?

[ArabHibee]

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But what if the other option was to lose your job entirely? Would you still be peed off then?

You're preaching to the converted there I'm afraid.

[lucky]

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You're right it isn't bad at all, and one that many people would think twice about taking up as a career. As Hibbyradge says, depending on seniority/length of service/routes flown/over time etc. they can earn a pretty penny, which makes it all the more strange that they're happy to rock the boat. As I said before, I think Unite have been guilty of a good bit of misrepresentation to the staff prior to the ballot taking place.

They get to go to some great places, but pretty much the longest they're there is two nights (and even then it would be arriving late one night, staying there the next day and then an early start the next). They've also got places that they're escorted to and from the hotels and need to stay there for their stay because they're so dangerous to be in.

BA also got rid of Glasgow as a crew base round about the same as they punted the groundstaff, which means they're all now based out of London. So anyone that works for BA but lives up here has to pay for their own travel down to London in the first place.

That's why they are fighting save their conditions which have been hard won over a number of years

[Part/Time Supporter]

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That's why they are fighting save their conditions which have been hard won over a number of years

They're not going to have any conditions soon given the way BA is going.

BTW, the reaction to the result of the strike ballot was a joke, celebrating going on strike like you've won the lottery?

[Hibrandenburg]

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They're not going to have any conditions soon given the way BA is going.

BTW, the reaction to the result of the strike ballot was a joke, celebrating going on strike like you've won the lottery?

Unfortunately in the UK, the process you have to go through before you can strike is a long and by no means certain one. Add that to the worries and concern of the crew which have been ignored and belittled by management for so long, then I think they would all have been feeling relieved to hear that management would finally have to sit up and take notice of their grievances.

The fact that BA have now successfully put through an injunction just underlines how hard it is to try and get any form of effective protest up and running in the UK.

[khib70]

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Unfortunately in the UK, the process you have to go through before you can strike is a long and by no means certain one. Add that to the worries and concern of the crew which have been ignored and belittled by management for so long, then I think they would all have been feeling relieved to hear that management would finally have to sit up and take notice of their grievances.

The fact that BA have now successfully put through an injunction just underlines how hard it is to try and get any form of effective protest up and running in the UK.

Not true. All you have to do is hold a legal ballot of people who actually still work for the company. And perhaps not change the nature and length of the industrial action after the result is in.

Would you rather go back to the days of unballoted wildcat action stirred up by militants? Militants like Len McCluskey of Unite - a former henchman of the Trotskyist looney council in Liverpoool, and - god help us - a candidate for General Secretary of the union.

I confidently predict that there won't be a landslide vote for industrial action next time - when the workers actually know what they're supposed to be voting for.

[Lucius Apuleius]

I decided a few months to give BA a try for my rotation this trip so due to fly home via Heathrow on December 29th/30th. Main reason being is the way a lot of my workmates have raved about BAs business travel compared to the likes of KLM and Air France. Not a clue how much a ticket costs but would imagine in the 3-4,000 range. Now canceled and back to Air Frog. I am not going to miss my first New Year at home for bloody years and the yam match

As to the rights and wrongs of the strike, I agree with their principals on striking if it is just about them losing money. If it is about more cost effective working practices that result in a little more work, no sympathy. Their union reps should be ripped to pieces for their handling of the ballot.

[Hainan Hibs]

Nothing but good things to say about BA, and that has nothing to do with them over selling economy class on my £204 flight home from Shanghai and upgrading me free of charge to business class

[Moulin Yarns]

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Not true. All you have to do is hold a legal ballot of people who actually still work for the company. And perhaps not change the nature and length of the industrial action after the result is in.

Would you rather go back to the days of unballoted wildcat action stirred up by militants? Militants like Len McCluskey of Unite - a former henchman of the Trotskyist looney council in Liverpoool, and - god help us - a candidate for General Secretary of the union.

I confidently predict that there won't be a landslide vote for industrial action next time - when the workers actually know what they're supposed to be voting for.

And only those who are still working for the company vote, not including those who were due to leave between voting and the proposed strike

[Jonnyboy]

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It is surely wrong for over 90% of a workforce of 14000 to vote in favour of strike action only for it to stopped by a high court judge. Reason behind it is an administrative technicality which would not have effect the outcome. The union can not even appeal in less there is legal error.

Why are Unite still funding the Labour party? The Labour party have had 12 years to overturn the anti trade union laws. It has to be a human right for individuals to withdraw their labour if their employer is behaving in an unreasonable manner.

Again workers suffer, again the High court backs employers, again the UK is made to look a joke country with no respect or rights for its citizens.

Very sad day indeed.

I'm all in favour of workers rights lucky but I feel your anger is misplaced here. It's not BA, the courts or the government that screwed up here it's Unite who carried out a ballot which did not meet the legal requirements. The union should be the ones hanging their heads in shame as their tactics have harmed their members. What sympathy might BA workers get now after the union cock up I wonder

[Beefster]

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It is surely wrong for over 90% of a workforce of 14000 to vote in favour of strike action only for it to stopped by a high court judge. Reason behind it is an administrative technicality which would not have effect the outcome. The union can not even appeal in less there is legal error.

Why are Unite still funding the Labour party? The Labour party have had 12 years to overturn the anti trade union laws. It has to be a human right for individuals to withdraw their labour if their employer is behaving in an unreasonable manner.

Again workers suffer, again the High court backs employers, again the UK is made to look a joke country with no respect or rights for its citizens.

Very sad day indeed.

An administrative technicality? Illegal votes being counted is a technicality? I bet Mugabe uses the same logic.

The High Court was right to stop the strike and make Unite carry out a competent and fair ballot.

Every BA worker that I've heard on TV or radio is desperately unhappy with Unite's handling of the entire matter so I wouldn't expect the same landslide in the next ballot.

[RyeSloan]

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That's a pay cut as inflation goes up your wage remains static as such its a cut. They are also attacking their conditions and are having less people doing the job. Therefore increasing productivity of the workers and reducing their pay.


It is not right that public sector workers get a pay freeze to fund bailing out the banks.

Workers of the world unite

Ha ha I like the blinkered view on what constitutes workers.....I bet there are tens of thousands of bank employees that have faced exactly the same in the last two years....didn't see your indignation rising up for the common worker there or is it only some loss making companies and some types of workers that deserve such sabre rattleing?

Are Unite not the same union that organised the strike at Grangemouth for workers rights that related to workers that didn't even exist yet??