Unite denounces BA for seeking "scab" crew to run the "world's
favourite airline"
18th January 2010
British Airways' management has today (Monday) written to all BA
staff asking for "volunteers" to crew the aircraft should the cabin
crew be forced to take industrial action.
Unite, the union fighting to save cabin crew's' terms and
conditions, attacked the move as "provocative" and said BA was
seeking to use "scab" labour.
It appealed to the airline to put its energies into resolving
the dispute through negotiation.
Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary, said: "This is a
provocative attempt by BA to disrupt negotiations. It is
inconceivable that BA should even be thinking of running its
airline - the national carrier - with scab labour who have had only
minimum training. This shows contempt for professionalism of
cabin crew.
"BA management must stop the posturing and get back to the
negotiating table because only through agreement with its own
employees can BA keep on flying."
Unite says that experienced, fully trained cabin crew are
integral to the safety and comfort of passengers.
Unite today announced that the ballot for industrial action over
a dispute on imposed changes to working conditions will open on
January 25th and close on February 22nd, 2010.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Pauline Doyle in the Unite
press office.
Notes: the text of Willie Walsh's letter to BA staff reads:
Message from Willie Walsh
Dear colleague
It has been a year since we started talks with the trade unions
to do everything we can to save our airline in the face of the
worst economic crisis in our history.
There has been a seismic shift in our industry, with the slump
in business travel driving down our revenue by £1 billion. The
fragility of our industry means many airlines have gone bust and
others, such as our oneworld partner Japan Airlines, are on the
brink of bankruptcy.
Despite this and the recent talks at the Trades Union Council
(TUC), Unite still refuses to accept our cost saving proposals in
IFCE and, as you know, it has announced another cabin crew strike
ballot, raising the prospect of major disruption to our
customers.
I know many of you will once again be appalled at the distress a
strike would cause our customers and the damage it will do to our
company – especially when so many of you have already made
sacrifices.
That is why I am writing to you today.
I am asking for volunteers to back BA by training to work
alongside cabin crew who choose not to support a strike, so we are
ready to keep our customers flying as much as we possibly can if
this strike goes ahead.
How to volunteer
If you would be willing to volunteer for both the training and
the subsequent work in the air we will ask you to register via the
homepage of the intranet.
From tomorrow, you can sign up to train to become volunteer
cabin crew. We will be advertising the scheme across the airline,
but will focus initially on people who are available in the key
period and who meet the relevant criteria. Later on, there will
also be the opportunity to volunteer for our customer support
programme on the ground.
There will be a wealth of information on the intranet to help
you choose which role would be right for you, and you should also
speak with your manager before you volunteer.
Thank you for backing BA.
In recent weeks, hundreds of you have volunteered in the
terminals during the unprecedented winter weather to support our
customers and our operation. Operational colleagues including our
cabin crew have pulled out all the stops under very difficult
circumstances. And only last weekend we were inundated with
volunteers to take the relief 747 out to Haiti.
The path back to profitability is not easy but many of you have
not only understood what is required but also made sacrifices.
Reducing our costs and changing how we are structured while
remaining focused on our customers are essential for our long-term
survival.
I hope that Unite will recognise that a way forward can be found
without the need for them to threaten our customers holidays and
travel plans and I remain available to meet with them at any
time.
In the meantime, thank you for volunteering and for backing BA
and our customers.
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