British Airways Dispute
The Guardian had a thoughtful piece in yesterday's paper on the long-running British Airways (BA) dispute - written on an anonymous basis apparently - by one of BA's pilot.
Unite - the union that represents cabin crew staff - is due to announce the result of yet another strike ballot today - and here are a couple of extracts of what the BA pilot had to say:
"If the ballot result is against further strikes, we should see a calm acceptance from the airline, with a magnanimous offer to implement their last or most generous position during the dispute accompanied by an offer to start work on improving relations with Unite. This would signal that their priority now was to return to high service standards and a normalised relationship with their employees.
If the vote is in favour, but without a real majority of the membership in a small turnout, it is Unite's response which will be more instructive. Would it argue that a mandate had been provided by that minority of loyal or foolhardy members, despite the majority being too apathetic or disillusioned to vote? If so, the union would be driving its members further down the current blind alley."
Strike action is a very blunt instrument - as any sensible trade unionist knows - and has produced diminishing returns in this damaging dispute - which has dragged on for far too long.
So let's hope there's an outbreak of common sense - because more strikes will make things worse not better.
Unite - the union that represents cabin crew staff - is due to announce the result of yet another strike ballot today - and here are a couple of extracts of what the BA pilot had to say:
"If the ballot result is against further strikes, we should see a calm acceptance from the airline, with a magnanimous offer to implement their last or most generous position during the dispute accompanied by an offer to start work on improving relations with Unite. This would signal that their priority now was to return to high service standards and a normalised relationship with their employees.
If the vote is in favour, but without a real majority of the membership in a small turnout, it is Unite's response which will be more instructive. Would it argue that a mandate had been provided by that minority of loyal or foolhardy members, despite the majority being too apathetic or disillusioned to vote? If so, the union would be driving its members further down the current blind alley."
Strike action is a very blunt instrument - as any sensible trade unionist knows - and has produced diminishing returns in this damaging dispute - which has dragged on for far too long.
So let's hope there's an outbreak of common sense - because more strikes will make things worse not better.
