Unite gives members something to chew on over Christmas dinner
Tuesday, 22 Dec, 2010
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While British Airways boss Willie Walsh and his team are mopping up the severe weather mess at Heathrow, many of his cabin crew will be deliberating on whether they want to herald 2011 with new strike action.
Voting papers for a fresh ballot were sent out by Unite to more than 10,000 crew this week and crew will have the Christmas holidays to ponder the decision. Papers must be sent back by January 21.
Whilst they are digesting their turkey dinners and watching the Eastenders omnibus, they will have to consider whether they are still angry about the way they perceive British Airways to have punished striking crew, about lost perks, new crew on lesser terms and the airline’s general anti-union stance.
Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley said in a statement: “When this dispute started, the issue was making savings to help the company through a very difficult period for the industry.
“The union offered multi-million pound concessions which all but met management’s requirements. BA,however, preferred imposition, provoking a dispute which has cost the company vastly greater sums and done great damage to its reputation.
“The dispute has been prolonged by vindictive measures directed against cabin crew – in recent months, BA has put nearly 70 loyal workers through hell and sacked 13 of them because they supported their union. This is surely unprecedented in modern day British corporate life.
"We have made every effort in prolonged negotiations with management to find an acceptable resolution to the outstanding problems but sadly find that we must now conduct a fresh ballot in order to defend our members.
"BA knows what it must to do stop this dispute from escalating. The issues between us would cost BA not a single penny to resolve. It is now a matter of them showing the leadership to get back round the table with us to settle this through negotiation."
Unite wants the restoration of staff travel concessions, binding arbitration of all cabin crew disciplinary cases related to the original dispute, restoration of docked pay to workers who were not striking but actually sick and full and proper discussions of the trade union facilities agreement with the removal of the possibility of threats and sanctions by BA.
It also is unhappy about the introduction of a mixed fleet on different terms and conditions without the agreement of the trade union.
by Dinah Hatch
Dinah
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