They should allow the planes to fly without the trolley dollies - it's not that BA flight attendants actually provide any service.


British Airways cabin crew have voted in favour of a strike over job cuts and changes to staff contracts.

The strikes are set to begin on 22 December and run until 2 January. They are expected to cause significant disruption over the Christmas period.

Cabin crew voted overwhelmingly in favour of the strike action.

It follows a long dispute between the unions and BA, which is intent on cutting costs in order to survive a collapse in passenger numbers.

Announcing the outcome of the vote, Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of Unite, said it took the decision to strike with "a heavy heart".

He stressed that the union was still keen to avoid the strikes through further negotiation with British Airways.

The British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association, a section of Unite, echoed those sentiments in a statement.

"We are deeply saddened to have reached the point where we must take industrial action to get our voices heard, but feel that we have been left with no other choice," it said.

"We do not want to cause inconvenience, so even at this late stage we offer an opportunity for disruption not to occur."

Cuts concerns

Unions are unhappy about job cuts and changes to staff contracts, which they say they have not been consulted on.

Last month, BA announced plans to cut a further 1,200 jobs in an attempt to slash costs.

It also wants to cut the number of cabin crew from 15 to 14 on all long-haul flights, and freeze pay for two years.

Unite said that the cuts involved imposing "significant contractual changes" on cabin crew employees, resulting in extended working hours, and reduced wages for new starters.

BA says it urgently needs to cut costs to ride out its dire financial situation.

In the first half of the year, BA lost £292m - the worst first-half losses in the company's history.

stupid cunts. I hope BA goes out of business and all lose their jobs, that will teach the twats. The unions use the publics misery to get their own way. They make me sick

Of course none of us understand the real underlying situation.

Just how far BA need to go to get back in to the black is something only the management understands - we hope.

But whether they are going too far and jumping straight to the end game - an attempt to break the union and mirror the low cost carriers is something only they know.

This is serious. The company will I suspect not back down and the union is probably trying to call their bluff. This stand-off takes us right back to the darkest days of management/union conflicts and from that there are never ever any winners. Only losers - and those who have booked on BA will initially be the biggest losers. After that come the employees (a strike or just the threat of one will generate even more job losses) and shareholders who will see their investment values wilt and perhaps if both sides don't find a solution fast, will ultimately see their share certificates as worthless bits of paper.

Labor unions have no purpose any more. Every one of their purported "functions" has been duplicated by laws and government agencies. They now exist only to provide millions for union bosses and politicians via political kickbacks "contributions". Outlaw unions and watch the economy flourish.

The union wouldn't lose. They will still have their salaried jobs even if BA goes under. Still plenty of other companies they can fuck up

BA are in deep shit. They lost £400 million this year and predictions are for double that next. They also have a pension deficit of £2.5 billion. Their average cabin crew salary is £30k per annum double that of Virgin Atlantic and they also have 2 extra bodies on every long haul flight. Also their senior cabin crew don't serve, only supervise which means again they have one less productive body on every flight. Currently BA long haul flights carry 15+ the lazy supervisor and Virgin run with 13 including the supervisor who also serves. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out the math.

I believe if this strike actually goes ahead it will be the beginning of the end for BA as we know it.

plans to keep logo intact but change name to budget or backpackers

Agree.

And a strike like this over the busiest time of the year will cripple them and probably cost more than the cost of giving in to the Union. They are shooting themselves in the foot by strike action. Its not known what days they will strike, or even whether it will be for the whole period, but the promise of staff being flown over as relief from the US is no longer a runner.

Perhaps some of the First and Club Class booking will be transfered to other airlines, but many flights will be canceled for sure over Xmas /New year. Then there will be the usual back log that follows. At the moment it doesnt look as if either party will back down, or whether a negotiation is likely.

Far too simplistic.

The BA members must represent a substantial proportion of union income. In addition there must be a significant number of union officials assigned to the BA 'account'. You really do need to avoid your political views getting in the way of logic.

I'd only argue with one small issue. If they don't call it off quickly it will still be the beginning of the end - and the end won't be far behind the beginning.

The union must be crazy. Surely they must know BA are spoiling for a fight - this is the 'miners' all over again.

The cabin crew for BA , get paid double what Virgins get, and way above everyone leses. Pilots and other staff have taken pay cuts and even worked a month without pay. The cabin crew are way out of order calling a strike , in a recession, and at christmas. BA will lose either 100 million or 3oo million from this strike ( I forget which amount). They will out the company in trouble and lose them many customers.

..and before "the miners" we had the "Winter of discontent"......Not goin' to be many contented BA passengers at the moment...

As an ex BA manager I find this all quite sad. Lets not forget that this strike relates only to cabin crew and only those mainly based at Heathrow. There are many thousands of other staff working within customer services on the ground and other departments in UK and overseas who have no part in this strike. They have negotiated with the company and accepted changes in working practices.

The cabin crew (unfortunately) were always led to believe they were the most important arm of BA and unfortunately that has worked it's way into their work ethics. Trust me there is a majority of BA non-cabin crew staff who totally disagree with this strike.

Take a walk around the cabin crew car park at Heathrow and you will see top of the range cars and the coolest sportscars. That would be a stark contrast to the customer service car parks which can be an embarrassment to many.

I used to date a cabin crew girl, she never touched her salary, that just went into her savings every month. She lived off her expenses.

In this day and age you would think they would understand the need to compromise and negotiate, there is always an acceptable settlement. It just appears that they care more about their positions and lifestyle than the need to save the company from going under. That is, I am afraid, a possibility which will be a sad day for many.

I used to frequent H.J. Beans ( Amari Watergate) during happy hour for years....What a bunch of stuck up whores they all seemed...

Did your ex BA trolly Dolly GF also hide drugs in her hair to traffic it through customs...??.. Perhaps THAT is why there are so many sports cars in the car park...

yes I agree that is a good point. I dont want to see anyone lose their job and they are not responsible for the irresponsible actions of the greedy cabin crew and the union who are using this as a power struggle and nothing else.

i see on bbc news that other airlines are taking advantage and increasing their fares during the strike period. one girll had a round trip to new york for 1100pounds. bbc searched internet and lowest flight was 1700 pounds. they are all a load of pricks inc BA

This is suicidal move by an out of touch Union in current climate
Only reason going on strike over Xmas is it will have maximum impact/leveradge.
Customers have good memories ,No amount of PR spin will bring BA back if they F..k up customers xmas

Bye Bye BA and lets see which other airlines rush to offer these fools jobs
Next TROLLYS they will be pushing will be collecting shopping TROLLEYS
Just my humble opinion

Fucken no shit mate , i aint gonna argue with you , ya big soft cunt !!

Luvs ya xxxx (you big frightening bastard ) ! He he

Kitty Kunt

Maximum affect over the festive season, I guess there is little point striking when nobody notices. I dislike BA too, I remember paying the extra years ago to fly with them to Thailand and couldnt believe how bad the service, leg room and food was.

How come your prime minister does not step in and stop the strike. Its suicide for the airline.... This could be the last nail in the coffin for BA.

Gordon Brown has stated that he wishes both parties to talk and look 'outwards' and not 'inwards' (His words not mine). If he doesn't do anything then he will also get bad 'brownie' points. BA has just announced that they wish to open talks with the Unite union with conditions (it is not at this time known what the conditions are).
BA are also at the high court today to try to have strike averted based on ballott iregularity (supposedly about 1000 votes are based on cabin crew who should have been ineligible). Lawyers believe this is a weak argument as even taking out the 1000 or so votes the ballott would have been carried in favour of strike by about 80%

BA is too big to be allowed to go out of business totally but they are ripe for trimming, downsizing or merging with other companies who would impose new pay and conditions within a specified time. That is a possibility that could be more on the cards than just hoping they go bust and all lose their jobs. The cabin crew strike action just may make that day come a bit sooner.

I have recently had my contract terminated with 3 month notice..No problems; that option is in my contract. The intention is to renegotiate at Market prices..Fair do's. I am happy to get more money..hahaha

But why don't BA just bloody sack the Heathrow based cabin crew..end their contracts with the contractual termination period...In the meantime they fast track their other international staff for promotion / retraining etc and get rid of the ones that think their asses don't stink...

The strike is now off over Xmas for the time being and will take another couple of weeks to organize another which will exclude the 1000 staff who accepted voluntary redundancy. I bet there will be a few passengers who purchased alternative travel, and will now not be able to get refunds and stuck with 2 tickets

It would probably be illegal.

If they wish to reduce wage costs, they could simply impose a % decrease and provided that it includes all the companies staff, it would be legal.

But it CAN'T be illegal to end anybody's contract with the termination period written into their contracts....As I said mine is 3 months...surely Willie Walsh hasn't got his staff on 6 months termination contracts??

If so claim force majeure and STILL sack the fuckers with 6 months pay!!..It is only the Heathrow based stabbin crew anyway..

Here they go again.

British Airways Strike Dates Announced

FFS cunts, still I am flying on the 26th June on BC standby so hopefully I will be OK

Fuck sake sack the lot of them overpaid flighty waitresses

One way ticket I hope. We can do without you lot

I'm amazed that the union would afflict such financial damage as a 20 day a month strike after the ash cloud etc. It's reckoned it will cost BA £100 million.

Government 'll bail them out.

Yep. They opened a can of worms with the banks.

Best Bloody Airline going
Got me an Extra 12 days in Patts in March,my work said out of your control no worries
Just Gotta love that British work ethic
Thank you BA another happy customer