British Airways cabin crew vote to strike over low pay

[Memory man]

Thousands of British Airways (BA) workers have voted overwhelmingly to go on strike in a row over pay, a move that is likely to disrupt a large number of flights over the Christmas holiday.
On Wednesday, over 2,000 of the airliner’s cabin crew voted 4 to 1 in favor of a walkout at London’s Heathrow Airport, which could begin as early as December 21, the Unite union said without mentioning the exact date.
According to Unite, workers who joined the airline in 2010 are getting paid less than the rest of the staff.
The action came after the cabin crew rejected a 2-percent raise in their salaries, which Unite said were supposed to be between £21,000 and £25,000 annually but, in reality, started at just over £12,000 plus £3 an hour flying pay.
The turnout for the vote was 60 percent, of which 79 percent voted for the strike, United added, noting that the airline would get seven days notice once the dates are finalized.
Unite represents some 2,500 workers out of BA’s so-called Mixed Fleet, which comprises 4,500 workers in total and makes up a little over a quarter of the company's 16,000 cabin crew.
“Our members have overwhelmingly voted for strike action because British Airways' pay rates are indefensible and the crew are at breaking point,” said Unite regional officer Matt Smith.
“Mixed Fleet crew earn just over the minimum wage and below the national average. Significant numbers of crew are taking on second jobs, many go to work unfit to fly because they can't afford to be sick. British Airways bosses need to wake up to the anger and the injustice here,” he added.
In response, BA said that it was “extremely disappointed” by the move as it created “uncertainty” for the customers.
A spokesman for the company downplayed the walkout, saying Unite only represented 15 percent of the company’s cabin crew.
He said the airline had offered “a fair and reasonable pay increase” and was working to resolve the issue.
The strike would further cripple the Britain’s public transportation, as the country remains in the grip of a much larger walkout by Southern Rail staff that has caused chaos for hundreds of thousands of travelers.
Southern warned on Wednesday afternoon that services would continue to be “severely disrupted” on Thursday, as talks to end the dispute over payments continue.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/12/1 ... ite-Strike

[lefkes]

Just what I need , flying to Key West USA on Christmas eve .

[lewisestwo]

I do wonder if, as Mr Matt Smith - a Unite union man through and through I have no doubt - says the salaries were supposed to be between £21 and 25,000 per annum that at least one of his members may have actually noticed that the pay was a tad less than Unite say it should have been.
And if there was a £9000 difference in expected pay and actual pay, that these cabin crews did not walk away from the job immediately.
Still, it's Christmas and good will to all men except of course the travelling public because after all they are the ones who pay these strikers their salaries but why let that stand in the way of a good old fashioned **** the public strike, eh?

[tonee]

Now come on folks,being critical of the unions is looked down on here How many people does it take to close a train door?

[gogetemgirl]

Now come on folks,being critical of the unions is looked down on here How many people does it take to close a train door?

Why don't they do what my hubby did on the London Underground? He was a station assistant and got the
job of waving a "paddle" when it was OK for the driver to close the doors.
Especially on curved platforms it was super and although the driver had CCTV looking back down
the platform he could not see everything.
He positioned himself half way along, he also had a mobile PA mike "mind the doors" etc.
One station assistant per platform - rather than numerous guards one per train, who could not see
all along anyway.
It was cheaper on wages, more efficient, and safer.
Anne
(hubby was a station assistant at Baker Street Station)

[keving]

I always thought the cross check on aircraft was unnecessary and must have added to the cost of tickets. Why have one person checking the work of another when surely they are paid to get it right first time?

Oh, but that must assume that the right people are employed in the first place .. and that involves paying the right salary.

A basic of £12,000 a year in London is nothing. OK, they get paid an extra £3 an hour flying time, which brings the average salary up to £16,000 a year. Still nothing in London.

Why dont BA bite the bullet and bring in the next set of recruits on zero hour contacts paying £10 an hour flying time? I'm sure we will all feel safer with our cheaper tickets, even if BA employees are demoralised and turn up for work sick because they need the flying time money.

[explodingaardvark]

I always thought the cross check on aircraft was unnecessary and must have added to the cost of tickets.

This activity takes about 20 seconds to carry out. Additional staff are not employed to carry out this activity as it is carried out by staff that have thousands of other things to do on a flight, so to say that it adds to the cost of tickets is, in my opinion, ludicrous. The whole thing was brought in as a safety matter when someone forgot to carry out this activity and probably cost lives.

You might, using the same argument, ask why should we have a co-pilot on a plane.

[keving]

I always thought the cross check on aircraft was unnecessary and must have added to the cost of tickets.

This activity takes about 20 seconds to carry out. Additional staff are not employed to carry out this activity as it is carried out by staff that have thousands of other things to do on a flight, so to say that it adds to the cost of tickets is, in my opinion, ludicrous. The whole thing was brought in as a safety matter when someone forgot to carry out this activity and probably cost lives.

You might, using the same argument, ask why should we have a co-pilot on a plane.

Jeez, you didn't see the irony?

[lewisestwo]

Christmas Day and Boxing day????
Nice people and I really feel that good old fashioned Christmas Cheer towards these strikers.
Objectionable lot all of them.
Hope all they get for Christmas is piles.

[Maramike]

For anyone who remembers the dark days of the 1970's when it seemed that there was always some group of workers holding the country to ransom, and many unions felt it was their role and not the government to run the country, the number and nature of strikes at the moment is worrying.
I am all for fair pay for fair work, and the rights of employees being protected, but all too often in those dark days, and increasingly now, it seems to me that strikes are either about trivia or unions believing they are there to determine policy, and to fuel their own ego, rather than to protect their members.

[panoscouse]

Unions are a major inconvenience to those who wish to exploit and steal from the working class.

[Wee Stumpy]

I do remember the strikes of the 70's Maramike! Shops were only allowed to open certain hours due to electricity - I was a hairdresser at the time and could only work for about 3 days!
I also remember the queues at Bakeries just to try to get bread - you could queue for hours so I decided to try and make my own - boy was that a mistake - it was so heavy you were full after one slice!!

[lion]

The government needs to introduce new legislation to bring the unions into line.

All the inconvenience and loss of money the travelling public are going to incur.

Its a disgrace.

[Happy in Cyprus]

At least in Cyprus we have the absolute assurance that the government will cave in to union demands before the strike starts

[Firefly]

Now it's Royal Mail, adding to Southern Rail, oh joy, and a Happy Christmas to them, NOT.