New ballot to defend BA cabin crew as airline continues war against
workforce
22 June 2010
Unite, the union representing the nearly 12,000 cabin crew at
British Airways, announced today (Tuesday) that it is to conduct a
new ballot of members locked in a long-running fight to defend jobs
and standards at the airline.
Unite has advised BA that it has until next Tuesday, June 29th,
to demonstrate that it is willing to negotiate a solution to the
fresh issues between the parties - or it will ballot its members
for strike action.
The new dispute centres on three issues:
- British Airways' failure to respect its collective agreements
by using employees from other work areas within the company to
operate as cabin crew on world-wide and Eurofleet routes on reduced
terms. This, along with the introduction of temporary cabin crew on
terms and conditions which are contrary to those agreed within the
world-wide and Eurofleet agreements, is considered totally
unacceptable by Unite. BA's actions have caused divisions in the
workplace which will take considerable time and effort to
heal.
- The removal of travel assistance from crew who exercised their
right to participate in lawful strike action. Unite views this as
vindictive and again unacceptable. Unite is seeking the full
reinstatement of this important item immediately, and without
pre-conditions.
- Unite also considers the disciplinary action taken against
dozens of members for various misdemeanours related to the current
industrial dispute as again vindictive, disproportionate and
unnecessary. The union is therefore seeking the withdrawal of all
disciplinary measures administered to Unite members.
Should BA fail to work with the union on a solution to the three
issues, the ballot will open on Tuesday, June 29th, closing on
Tuesday, July 27th.
Brian Boyd, Unite national officer for civil aviation, said:
"Unite has consistently tried to find a negotiated settlement to
the original items of dispute. Unfortunately there has been an
unwillingness from the company to take a step back from its
position of confrontation.
"These three new items have been caused by the BA's vindictive
behaviour towards employees who participated in lawful industrial
action and the ongoing disregard the airline is displaying towards
its own workplace agreements.
"This is not the way to run a people-centred business. Even the
consumer magazine Which has put BA well down the customer
satisfaction list. In its recent survey of long and short haul
travellers, BA sits in 18th and 23rd place respectively. This is
not where BA should be and this lowly ranking is certainly not the
fault of its employees.
"The cost to the company's reputation, the £154 million that by
its own admission it has lost as a result of taking on its
employees, and the fact that it has already imposed the substantive
items of change it needed to save £60 million pounds begs the
question; what is the company attempting to achieve? “As a
result of its hard nosed attitude, BA will continue to lose many
more customers and revenue to other airlines.
"Once again, we say to BA. Do not seek conflict. Drop the tough
talk and work with us to deliver the change needed for the future
and preserve the standards associated with this great airline."
Cabin crew recently took 22 days strike action in protest
against the imposition of changes to cabin crew operation forced
through by BA in November 2009. The issues associated with
that dispute have still not been resolved. In the past six months,
cabin crew have twice voted by overwhelming majorities to take
strike action to defend standards at the airline.
During the last strike, it is estimated that some 70 per cent of
crew rostered to work observed the call for strike action. BA
alleged it flew around 70 per cent of its Heathrow passengers but
its complex contingency plans meant using partly-trained volunteers
as crew, deploying strike-breaking crew, flying almost empty
planes, using international cabin crew who were not on strike,
flying freight-only flights (BA does not operate these) and paying
competitor airlines to carry BA passengers and who, in so doing,
collected the associated passenger revenue.
By their own estimation, the last strike cost BA at least £154
million.
END
For further information please call Pauline Doyle on 07976 832
861 or Andrew Murray on 07773 764 455
