Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 50 total)
  • New BA strike going to wreck dreams!!!!
  • valleydaddy
    Free Member

    Really pi**ed off with the news that BA cabin crew are striking next week!!! 😥

    We've saved all year to take our 2 little girls to Orlando nnly to hear on the news they are striking on May 18th for 5 days!!

    We are due to fly out on the 19th 👿

    Anyone have experience of flying to USA during last round of strikes????

    priced alternative flights and there's no way we can afford to change airlines now!!!

    darrell
    Free Member

    as opposed to BA wrecking the lives of its staff

    tails
    Free Member

    **** that if they get paid anything like my mate a virgin they are doing alright. In fact the two lasses I knew who worked at BA were doing well enough.

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    Farmer_John
    Free Member

    "as opposed to BA wrecking the lives of its staff "

    By not making redundancies and asking them to accept crewing levels that are still way above the threshold maintained by BA's rivals – who also pay their staff about 50% less?

    geoffj
    Full Member

    as opposed to BA wrecking the lives of its staff

    Oh perlease!

    grahamh
    Free Member

    Chances are all flights will be grounded for volcanic ash any way.

    valleydaddy
    Free Member

    surely if BA goes under due to strikes what happens to the staff then???

    Don't say it won't happen – with the gov't in turmoil it may well do!!!

    I have nothing against the staff and their desires for better pay, conditions etc but i'm still pi**ed!!!

    We're all being squeezed by employers to take pay cuts etc but a lot of us don't have a union to make decisions for us.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    heres hoping the volcanic ash/strikes are still around on the 19th june 😉 could do with not going to houston and racing the puffer lite my self !

    valleydaddy
    Free Member

    jsut spoke to BA they said they are 99% all flights out of Gatwick will fly.

    Timetable announced tomorrow so fingers crossed

    pedalhead
    Free Member

    Fingers crossed for you, Orlando is special magic for kids. I booked my holiday flights with "anyone but BA" this year as they are frankly shooting themselves in the collective foot & I didn't want to risk it.

    valleydaddy
    Free Member

    cheers pedalhead

    we thought the same but hoped this would've been sorted out by now!!

    still time I guess and response from BA was reassuring some what

    backhander
    Free Member

    One of the dates is on the date we are/were flying to Canada for a 3 week RV tour of BC. All booked.
    The mrs will be heartbroken.
    I had something important planned too. 🙁

    postierich
    Free Member

    I think you will find they are striking to protect their terms and conditions not make them better! Bullyboy Management team are in full affect @ the moment suspending union officals for pleasure.Mangement dont like it up and at em all they think of are the shareholders not a decent service and looking after their staff.

    I think you will find BA will transfer you to another airline

    project
    Free Member

    As the dinosaur for the union said,there are other airlines.

    Right ok, then there are other unions and other jobs the ungrateful Ba staff could work for.

    There are possibly thousands who could drive a trolley down an aisle handing out pre packaged food,it happens on the railwys every day.

    Its going to ruin peoples holidays that they have saved for for a long time,a\nd have a negative effect on BA finances as well,resulting in more cutbacks and sackings.

    dmiller
    Free Member

    There are possibly thousands who could drive a trolley down an aisle handing out pre packaged food,it happens on the railwys every day.

    Its not as simple as that claim. You have to be able to work the door as well…

    project
    Free Member

    Most modern trains are passenger operated,just realeased by the driver.

    dmiller
    Free Member

    Most modern trains are passenger operated,just realeased by the driver.

    I meant the planes mate… 🙂

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    They do seem to be shooting themselves in the foot. We flew to Geneva last year with BA and were perfectly happy with the service and how the bikes travelled. We were going to book with them again but once all this strike business kicked off, we decided is wasn't worth the agro and booked with sleazyjet.

    There's two less passengers they've got this year.

    pacemaker
    Free Member

    trail_rat – Member
    heres hoping the volcanic ash/strikes are still around on the 19th june could do with not going to houston and racing the puffer lite my self !

    Keep it shut…. i fly to orlando on the 22nd with Virgin.! 😮

    backhander
    Free Member

    My neighbour is BA cabin crew. BA have historically payed their staff a LOT more than other airlines (due to old terms there are still some BA crew earning ~£70K apparently), because the public would pay a premium to fly with BA. Then the world happened, other airlines improved their service and cheap flights became available. The problem with BA is that, with their current wage bill, they're not competitive and therefore not really viable.
    They have tried to cut the wage bill by way of redundancies and new contracts. Staff obviously don't want this. Problem is, if BA go under, those who will suffer most will be the staff as they'll have to go work for X airline earning a fraction of what BA would have been paying them even under the new contracts.

    ScottChegg
    Free Member

    The biggest threat that unions get from management is 'we could go under'

    Unions never take it seriously; think it's a ploy. Then the workers are out on their ear and the unions sit back and congratulate themselves on how they 'showed them'

    It has a grim fascination as it unfolds.

    Munqe-chick
    Free Member

    Valleydaddy, when BA go on strike they tend to cancel all the local flights and continue to run the long haul flights as normal. We flew back from Denver, CO when strikes were on in March. Not much changed, gave us a $9 food voucher at check in as said food on the flight would be limited, as they don't serve hot food due to maybe 1 or 2 less staff per flight. We weren't harassed with collecting for charity, duty free etc (they don't do it).

    We literally got on the plane, they did a drink run, giving everyone 2 or 3 bottles of wine or whatever you ordered and said "we won't be down again but if you want any drinks we are at the back, come and ask for them". we then got some food, all cold stuff, so like chicken salad etc, but it was edible and better than the rank wet and cold bacon and cheese bap we'd had on the way out.

    Oh and when we arrived in Heathrow it was the quickest bag collection as there was NO-ONE around, no other travellers nothing!
    Fingers crossed they still fly everyone's long haul flights, as I'd be well pe** off.

    El-bent
    Free Member

    As the dinosaur for the union said,there are other airlines.

    Well at least some people in this country still have a backbone.

    backhander
    Free Member

    And perhaps a rod for it?

    valleydaddy
    Free Member

    cheers Munqe-chick hoping we have a smooth ride like you did.

    just frustrating all round

    Northwind
    Full Member

    " backhander – Member

    My neighbour is BA cabin crew. BA have historically payed their staff a LOT more than other airlines (due to old terms there are still some BA crew earning ~£70K apparently), because the public would pay a premium to fly with BA. Then the world happened, other airlines improved their service and cheap flights became available. The problem with BA is that, with their current wage bill, they're not competitive and therefore not really viable."

    You can't put all of BA's problems down to their wage bill, the cuts planned alone aren't going to be enough to make them profitable so to present it as a breaker for the company is a bit daft IMO. Especially since the counteroffer, combined with the cost of the last strike, is already presenting roughly the same saving as the original BA demand.

    OTOH BA have been absolutely pissing money away through mismanagement- failure to adequately hedge fuel, being caught out pricefixing… The cost of the pricefixing fiasco alone is about 5 years savings from these proposed cuts, but apparently that's fine…

    phildowling
    Free Member

    Poor pay and conditions my **** arse…man up you bunch of trolley pushers….Try serving in Afgan

    Really grips my sh*t. Sorry if they ruin your holiday. I'd take your kids to the nearest BA centre and show the lazy shits what they've done.

    druidh
    Free Member

    Actually, I'm surprised that anyone is planing to fly anywhere – at least until that volcano has gone back to sleep.

    niloC
    Free Member

    Don't worry, the Railway will be on strike soon as well!

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    Yeah, I make my choice of airline based on the BA strikes. Shame I didn't know about the volcano. Anyone know if it'll still be causing trouble in August????

    armchairbiker
    Full Member

    I just found out they are striking on the days I am supposed to be on holiday to Cyprus at half term. Apartment was my in laws, flights on airmiles so any alternative will be costing money.

    Looks like I can go to Fort William instead with my son to watch the DH racing 🙂

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    valleydaddy – Member

    ……………………

    We're all being squeezed by employers to take pay cuts etc but a lot of us don't have a union to make decisions for us.

    Anyone can join a union – except the police and GCHQ operatives.

    The union does not make decisions for the workforce – the workforce decide then the union implements the decision

    backhander
    Free Member

    The cost of the pricefixing fiasco alone is about 5 years savings from these proposed cuts, but apparently that's fine

    Who said it was fine? When have I said that all of their problems are down to wages? Oh, that's right, I didn't.
    The truth of the matter is BA are in a position where person-for-person, their staff costs them more than it does their competitors. Under the new scheme, they would still all be getting paid more than their peers.
    Perhaps they didn't buy their fuel wisely but they can't really just buy less can they?

    so to present it as a breaker for the company is a bit daft IMO

    Why? Are you some kind of tycoon who can spot all of the inefficiencies that they can't?
    I'm not for or against any party here, I understand that the staff don't want to lose money and that they have commitments. I also understand that the unions have to show value for money to their members.
    It's just shit and there won't be a winner, I fear.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    "Why? Are you some kind of tycoon who can spot all of the inefficiencies that they can't?"

    No, I think Willie Walsh is perfectly aware of his inefficiencies, that's why he's trying so hard to make it someone else's fault. But it's simple maths, the alternative package would have offered most of the savings. The cost of the strikes will mean that accepting the alternative package would have been the more cost effective option. So, QED, this isn't just about saving money.

    zaskar
    Free Member

    Will travel insurance cover the strike?

    I have not booked BA again after all the strikes and fears for the last few yrs.

    Ended up using Easy Jet for Europe or Air France.

    Ring or email BA and ask what will happen/alternatives or a refund.

    jumping_flea
    Free Member

    As above, I'll never fly ba again, so that's another customer gone.
    On a different note, who pays the wages fir the staff that are on strike. I know that I couldn't go without pay for 20 days and still pay the mortgage

    footflaps
    Full Member

    I really don't understand the cabin crew's point of view, they are paid twice as much as Virgin staff, work similar hours, get great perks and seem to think they are the new oppressed?

    valleydaddy
    Free Member

    Anyone can join a union – except the police and GCHQ operatives.

    The union does not make decisions for the workforce – the workforce decide then the union implements the decision

    true but who actually does??

    When I was in a union many moons ago it was always the union rep on the shopfloor stirring the pot, making mountains out of mole hills over the smallest things

    eldridge
    Free Member

    We are due to fly out on the 19th

    It's really weird the way different Education Authorities have different dates for school holidays

    Up here in Cumbria, half term doesn't start until 29th May.

    wrightyson
    Free Member

    Just want to be glad they've still got a **** job. Come over to the construction industry and then we'll talk about ruthless cutbacks.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 50 total)

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