SkidMarque From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2006, 82 posts, RR: 0 Posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 3550 times:
The Transport & General trade union has called off a series of strikes planned by its cabin crew branch BASSA following intensive negotiations over the weekend.
Tonforty From United Kingdom, joined exactly 7 years ago today! , 69 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 3295 times:
I'm delighted for BA, I was worried about the damage that this could have done to them. Even the disruption that they will still have over the next few days is bad enough.
Cjh2007 From Austria, joined Jan 2007, 263 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 3267 times:
I dont understand how an airline can sustain with such employees. I closely remember when BA had that catering strike, and it took such a scale as to passengers being served sandwhiches in F!
And somehow i can only imagine this scenario happening with an airline like BA...
No reason for this assumption... but really i could never even bare to think a similar situation would even happen with an airline like LH...
BCAL From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2004, 3384 posts, RR: 18 Reply 6, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 3226 times:
Excellent news although it does say something along the lines "Who is running BA - the management or the unions?"
Quoting Cjh2007 (Reply 5): I closely remember when BA had that catering strike
BA did not have a catering strike. Its caterer, Gate Gourmet, had the strike and since they were the principal (if not sole) supplier to BA at LHR (and LHR is BA's main base) BA suffered as a result. The scale of catering meant that BA could not call in an alternative suppliers at short notice.
MOL on SRB's latest attack at BA: "It's like a little Chihuahua barking at a dying Labrador. Nobody cares."
TCXDegsy From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2006, 500 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 3093 times:
Quoting BCAL (Reply 6): BA did not have a catering strike. Its caterer, Gate Gourmet, had the strike and since they were the principal (if not sole) supplier to BA at LHR (and LHR is BA's main base) BA suffered as a result. The scale of catering meant that BA could not call in an alternative suppliers at short notice.
It still makes me wonder why BA then went on to sign a new, more expensive deal with Gate Gourmet. You'd have thought they would have learned their lesson to not put all their catering eggs in one basket!
next flights: BA1441 0566 0581 1446 EDI-LHR-MXP-LHR-EDI
Geo772 From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2004, 497 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 3029 times:
Quoting TCXDegsy (Reply 7): It still makes me wonder why BA then went on to sign a new, more expensive deal with Gate Gourmet. You'd have thought they would have learned their lesson to not put all their catering eggs in one basket!
A good point and I'm sure one that has been raised in the higher echelons of BA management.
Since the catering dispute there has been a marked change in the way in which catering is loaded and offloaded from aircraft at Heathrow. Combined with the tighter security checkpoints it can sometime take more than 12 hours for an aircraft to be decatered following a flight. I quite often encounter flights where the catering turns up after the crew.
Quoting Gh123 (Reply 2): I'm pleased that it has been called off - just a bit too late though.
Agreed, but better late than never. However I hope than Willie Walsh and the BA management team didn't cave into some of the quite ridiculous demands of the cabin crew.
Flown on A300B4/600,A319/20/21,A332/3,A343,B727,B732/3/4/7/8,B741/2/4,B752,B762/3,B772/3,DC10,L1011-200,VC10,MD80,1-11
BAStew From Australia, joined Sep 2006, 1007 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 3029 times:
BA and the T&G have reached a deal that has seen the industrial action cancelled.
Some key issues of the deal:
- an immediate 4.6% pay rise for all cabin crew
- A resolution of the pension issue.
- Four more annual pay increments for crew that joined BA post 1997.
- An overhaul of how the EG300 attendance management policy is imlemented.
Previous sickness history will now be taken into consideration and there is a
list of ailments that will be discounted.
- The 747-400 aircraft will have one of its Purser positions replaced with a
main crew member.
Wrighbrothers From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 1875 posts, RR: 10 Reply 11, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 2938 times:
I think it's great that the strikes have been solved and called off, however, I am I the only one who thinks it was a bit deliberate, calling it it RIGHT on the day before the planned strike, It messes up BA's plans since they juggled around with crews and aircrafts. However, I'm sure this wasn't the main reason.
Obviously, both sides have come to an arrangement and that ultimatly is the best thing.
Wrighbrothers
Always stand up for what is right, even if it means standing alone..
BAStew From Australia, joined Sep 2006, 1007 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 2922 times:
BA are now planning to operate a FULL schedule tomorrow!
BUT GUESS WHAT???
The caterers fully anticipating all flights cancelled for tues & weds and wanting to save money did not prepare any food as it is likely it would be wasted!
THERE WILL BE NO FOOD ON BA FLIGHTS TOMORROW!! Only a bar service. (see ba.com)
Saying that I think most flights tomorrow are more about positioning aircraft and less about carrying passengers. I think the overwhelming majority of passengers would have made alternative arrangements by now.
BAStew From Australia, joined Sep 2006, 1007 posts, RR: 2 Reply 14, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 2874 times:
Quoting Gh123 (Reply 13): Quoting BAStew (Reply 9):
- The 747-400 aircraft will have one of its Purser positions replaced with a
main crew member.
Can someone please explain what this change will actually be and why it is being changed vs. the current situation?
Thanks
Hey GH,
BA's 747's are configured with either 291 seats (Hi Club), 299 seats (Hi Club 'Lite') or 351 (Low J).
The crew compliment is either 15 (most routes) or 16 (certain 'demanding' routes hehe). This consists of 1 x CSD, 4 x Pursers and 10 or 11 'main crew'. BA wanted 1 x CSD, 3 x Pursers and 11 or 12 main crew.
The benefit to this for BA is that a Purser is obviously on a higher salary. I believe the savings by removing 1 x purser was £4.1million p.a.
The concern to the union was that the removal of this Purser position would slow down promotion opportunities.
Speedbird2155 From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 847 posts, RR: 5 Reply 15, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 2843 times:
Quoting TCXDegsy (Reply 7): It still makes me wonder why BA then went on to sign a new, more expensive deal with Gate Gourmet. You'd have thought they would have learned their lesson to not put all their catering eggs in one basket!
Given that no other caterer at LHR is large enough to handle BA's requirements, the next best thing was to ensure that the one caterer in the position to handle BA requirements is in a position to survive financially.
Quoting Geo772 (Reply 8): Since the catering dispute there has been a marked change in the way in which catering is loaded and offloaded from aircraft at Heathrow. Combined with the tighter security checkpoints it can sometime take more than 12 hours for an aircraft to be decatered following a flight. I quite often encounter flights where the catering turns up after the crew.
I've never known any aircraft to sit on stand for 12 hours with the inbound catering still on it, except for those that came in during the strike. However, the security changes have led to late catering of flights and yes, it is known for catering to arrive after crew.
Quoting BAStew (Reply 9): BA and the T&G have reached a deal that has seen the industrial action cancelled.
Some key issues of the deal:
- an immediate 4.6% pay rise for all cabin crew
- A resolution of the pension issue.
- Four more annual pay increments for crew that joined BA post 1997.
- An overhaul of how the EG300 attendance management policy is imlemented.
Previous sickness history will now be taken into consideration and there is a
list of ailments that will be discounted.
- The 747-400 aircraft will have one of its Purser positions replaced with a
main crew member.
So basically the crew have gained a pay rise, but the increments are not pensionable.
The pension issue had already been agreed to, unless the crew agreement is different from that of other staff, which it does not appear to be.
The change to the sickness policy for the most part sounds like how it is already implemented in most departments, with the exception being the addition of a few items that relate to crew in recognition of flying conditions. However the provision for one off situations already existed (speaking from experience).
The removal of the purser is inline with what BA wanted.
Falstaff From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 5673 posts, RR: 29 Reply 16, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 2819 times:
Will BA's DTW flights be back to a regular schedule? I read an article in the Detroit Free Press that BA's LON-DTW flights were being canceled because of strike issues.
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12714 posts, RR: 80 Reply 17, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 2770 times:
Of course who cannot be very glad this crazy action has been called off.
However, if the above concessions are true, this will create huge resentment across the rest of BA, that is the ground staff.
I'd love to have had a £1000 sweetner to accept EG300, a year after everyone else did, now all sorts of get out clauses?
But here we need to see the detail, if true.
Get to the top of an incremental scale? Well everyone else has to go for a new job, on a higher grade, if you want more pay.
Lack of promotion prospects, well that sounds a lot like many other areas of BA.
Who have had to take large reductions on people, prospects etc, over the last few years.
As for the almost unique 747 operation with that 4th Purser, perhaps even BASSA could no longer defend that one.
However, the other side of the coin, I hear that many crew were unhappy with the prospect of a strike, the way BASSA had handled it.
So cancelled their membership, including their payments to the union.
A phone call can do it.
I'd like to hope that swayed BASSA a bit too.
The damage has been done however, all that awful PR, more pissed off customers, the need yet again to scramble to get back to normal-much of this will be done by Ground Staff posted from their usual jobs, they'll get no extra money for this, just time off in lieu.
Aussiestu From Australia, joined Mar 2001, 778 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2514 times:
Quoting GDB (Reply 17): The damage has been done however, all that awful PR, more pissed off customers, the need yet again to scramble to get back to normal-much of this will be done by Ground Staff posted from their usual jobs, they'll get no extra money for this, just time off in lieu.
You would have to be groundstaff yourself to make that comment. Dont you think that the crew will also have to try and make the BA passengers feel welcome and glad to be flying BA?? Not all BA crew are BASSA members and yet it will be service as normal for them when they get in the sky. Whatever happened to all working together and trying to make the best of a bad situation?
IMO, dont think it will affect BA too much. They just are up shit creek when it comes to catering tomorrow ad wenesday
25 Speedbirdie: Well this is GREAT news for BA, and I for one am Delighted. We heard the news yesterday in ATH and rushed back to my room to watch the Sky News report
26 BHXFAOTIPYYC: Nice way to prove Management's point about sick days... Anyway, after spending a large part of last week shuffling my BA clients around, I'm pleased
27 BALAX: So what does the sick policy entice now?
28 Gh123: Quoting from the BBC: BA and the union have also agreed on the implementation of the current sick leave policy, introduced 18 months ago, whereby sta
29 Gh123: Here's a little more, still from the BBC: The two main issues were pay and sick leave. Regarding pay, staff wanted both a rise, and an end to the two-
30 Sketty222: I heard today at work that a BA 747 left for JFK with only five people on it!!! IMHO absolute craziness. It be fun to be on there though Lee
31 GDB: Aussiestu-working together yes, but then your comment that 'you'd have to be ground staff'? Ground staff, the mere mortals, have plenty of customer fa
32 BAW076: Heard on the news earlier that BA039 LHR-PEK had only TWO passengers on board! Interesting aswell that this flight today was operated by the B744 (G-C
33 Tonforty: With flights operating with numbers like that, it makes you wonder if they'd have lost less money if the strike had gone ahead!
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