We're one step closer to British Airways pilots going on strike, though goodness this sure is drawn out... A few weeks ago I wrote about how talks broke down between British Airways management and their pilot union over a new contract. Management had offered pilots an 11.5% pay increase over three years, though the pilots…
Continue reading: Court Of Appeal Approves British Airways Pilot Strike
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11.5% already seems like a massive increase. Are there other issues at stake?
The union people need better writers for their press releases. 🙂
The main issue at hand is a bonus scheme called 'gain share'.
Although it seems more a battle of wills than money. BALA have said one day of IA by pilots would cost BA as much as giving them what they are asking for.
The problem is, the pay deal is a company wide one. If BA betters the offering on the table for the pilots they have agreed to apply that better offer to all staff. Something they'll want to avoid.
BALPA have told members they will not announce any strike dates until they give mediation another go with ACAS next week.
It's refreshing to see the court support the employees of a corporation and not the big wigs.
In a free society, BA would have the right to respond to the threat of a mass strike with any number of tools, up to and including a mass firing.
@Chucky it’s 11.5% over three years, or 3.83% per year. Inflation in the UK was 3.6% in 2017 and 2.5% in 2018. I have to imagine the cost of living in and around London is increasing even more than this. All of that makes a 3.83% annual raise totally unremarkable.
@James N
They can fire half of their pilots if they want, now how are they going to replace them?
The whole reason the pilots can strike is because they know there's a shortage globally, training takes a long time and any pilots that are brought on quickly to replace the BA ones will likely command a premium beyond what the BA pilots are demanding.
If you want to see what happens when the employees have less power look at (even relative to other cabin crew) the conditions of BAs cabin crew are.
Truth be told what you clearly want is a very unfree society where the employees can't strike. In a free society, as the UK is, the pilots can strike and take the cost of losing pay, the potential for job losses because of company losses if they want. They clearly see that they have enough power, and IAG is a strong enough company to withstand a less profitable summer, and that the outcome of potentially better terms is worth it. And they're FREE to take that position.
As for BA, all they've done with their hail mary is piss off the people they're bargaining with.
"Truth be told what you clearly want is a very unfree society where the employees can’t strike."
It fascinates me when people appear unable to understand a basic term. Also, your "argument" is basically a straw man and doesn't address my point.
The UK is a free society.
BA DOES have the right to fire all the pilots.
And then the pilots have the right to take BA to an industrial tribunal for unfair dismissal.
So what will BA gain out of this? Hundreds of grounded aircraft and millions in compensation to an industrial tribunal. Clever.
What is missing from the comments is the impact on passengers who are basically being held hostage until the ransom is settled. That’s hundreds, may be thousands, of passengers who will be left without a flight and without compensation as well as the ripple effect of people not making it to their destinations and the costs involved there. And all over who can piss the furthest
@Chucky - unfortunately interpretation of the law is not an objective task and the appeals of the people are there for that exact reason - to sway the subjective part of us. So yes, the court did show support regardless of whatever objective language you care to use.
Unfortunately, quiet methods do not always have an impact and therefore, the society should learn to embrace protests - the greatest form of exercising one's democratic freedom. I wish the population in the US today was more accepting of protests and walk-offs to fight for workers' rights. Yes, this has major impact on a lot of us, but that is not justification for those demanding better wages and rights to continue working. Therefore, it's hardly a simple pissing contest as someone commented.
Yay they missed the 14 days notice for my flight on the 12th of Aug.
And tomorrow they'll miss the 14 days notice to my flight to france for the holidays yay.......
Pilots are very well paid already. I am envious of some of the paty rates (150,000+ GBP) and yet they want more!
Passengers get screwed by strikes and will have to swallow higher fares in future, hurting people like me who want affordable travel.
After reading this I continue to feel sick in my stomach thinking of the thousands of dollars I have wrapped up in a trip for four of us in the Cotswolds and London leaving August 21st from Boston.
They'll be desperate at this point because they definitely don't want a strike on August 19th.
It would be a horrible way to celebrate your 100th birthday.
I've been looking forward to my holiday in September for weeks and now I dare not even think about it for fear I'm going to be caught up in all this. BA lost me 15 hours at the start of my holiday last year due to delays. I said I wouldn't fly with them again if I could help it. But I chanced booking with them again this time and look what's happening. We work hard all year round looking forward so much to our holidays. I can't afford to lose all the money I've spent on my flights for this. I pray this all gets resolved before innocent passengers start paying the price...
I have a holiday booked for August 15th. Do you think my flight will be effected?