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[size=75:3c4bz6ak]novinite December 14, 2009

British Airways Cabin Crew Set to Strike over Christmas

British Airways cabin crew have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike in a dispute 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 by nine to one in favour of the strike action, the BBC reported.

The strike could cause problems for many UK and Bulgarian tourists who use the airline to fly between the two countries over the festive period.

It follows a long dispute between the unions and BA, which is intent on cutting costs to ensure its survival.

"
It goes without saying that we have taken this decision to disrupt passengers and customers over the Christmas period with a heavy heart,"
said Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of the Unite union.

The British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association, a section of Unite, also said it was unhappy about taking strike action.

"
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.



This could be bad news for some I was watching the news earlier and they said that those who have booked are unlikely to get any compensation if the flight is canceled because of the strike

People are getting fed up with BA strikes and have moved to alternative airlines - It will destroy them if they strike again

Oddy

oddball wrote:

People are getting fed up with BA strikes and have moved to alternative airlines - It will destroy them if they strike again

Oddy

It may be time BA was taken over and became a different (or a number of) smaller airlines.

We are flying over to Bulgaria on Wednesday with BA. I knew that if they went on strike the earliest they could do so would be Friday.
We are coming back in 2 weeks, unless they strike that day. At least we can stay in our house if necessary.
I think the general public are fed up with the cabin crew and have little sympathy for them. They seem to be the best paid in the industry. We are all having to tighten our belts and they should be too. I'm sure there must be plenty of people wishing they had BA jobs!
We like to fly with BA as the flight times suit us, they give better luggage allowance and the price you see is the price you pay. Having flown many times with them, we've never had any problems.
Come on, BA and cabin crew, get your act together!

Scunnered wrote:

We are flying over to Bulgaria on Wednesday with BA. I knew that if they went on strike the earliest they could do so would be Friday.
We are coming back in 2 weeks, unless they strike that day. At least we can stay in our house if necessary.
I think the general public are fed up with the cabin crew and have little sympathy for them. They seem to be the best paid in the industry. We are all having to tighten our belts and they should be too. I'm sure there must be plenty of people wishing they had BA jobs!
We like to fly with BA as the flight times suit us, they give better luggage allowance and the price you see is the price you pay. Having flown many times with them, we've never had any problems.
Come on, BA and cabin crew, get your act together!

Sincerely hope all goes well for you Barbs I will keep fingers crossed.

Yes indeed we like BA too and never had any problem with them before.

But forget about them now and think of the wonderful holiday looming . lol Berni

Oddy

I will get mu daughter to check her flight I know she is coming over in Feb with BA

British Airways last day on the stock exchange
Almost a quarter century of stock market history drew to a close on Friday, when the British Airways name was removed from Stock Exchange screens.
From Monday, the shares will trade as International Airlines Group, the new name for the company that now also incorporates Spain’s Iberia after the £5.3bn all-share merger between the two carriers.

BA was listed on February 11, 1987 at 125p a share and has given shareholders a turbulent ride ever since - underperforming the stock market by a sizeable margin. While BA shares closed at 282.5p - a mere 126pc gain - the market has powered 213pc higher since that date in 1987.
BA reached its highest price of 760p in 1997. Its lowest - on March 12 2003 - followed the recession and prolonged downturn in aviation triggered by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In between, BA has pursued abortive mergers with the likes of KLM and Qantas, brought Heathrow to a summer standstill through industrial disputes with employees and catering supplier Gate Gourmet, and launched low-fare carrier Go - subsequently sold to easyJet. True to form, BA is bowing out amid controversy, with the result today of the cabin crew union’s latest strike ballot - the outcome of which could potentially lead to fresh industrial action over the coming months, including Easter. Last year, 22 strike days cost the airline £150m.

Floated under the executive chairmanship of Lord King, the quoted company has had four chief executives - Lord Marshall, Bob Ayling, Sir Rod Eddington and today’s incumbent Willie Walsh. The Madrid-registered IAG, which will be headquartered in London and run by Mr Walsh, will have a combined fleet of 419 aircraft, carrying 54.8m passengers a year. Based on current revenues, annual sales are expected to be around £11.7bn. The holding company will sit above the two operating businesses, which will retain their brands, national identities and flying rights. The IAG name is deliberately bland because Mr Walsh’s goal is to expand it by acquiring other airlines.

He has always maintained that the IAG structure is “scaleable” - though he surprised observers in September when he said he had drawn up a list of 12 un-named targets. “The ambition is very clear that IAG will look to consolidate further,” he said.

A bit of a shock for travellers, who do they call now!! BA has always been the flagship of Britain in the sky and now as with many other companies sold to foreigners. When will our governments wake up and do something about it.

Yet another British company about to be ruined by the efforts of Trade Unions. BA will join the ranks of BMC/British Leyland, shipbuilding, Seaports (now 'exported' to Holland) and our many other industries that were once envied by the rest of the world. We desperately need another Margaret Thatcher with the determination to protect our manufacturing...and the multitude of jobs that depends upon it. Does anyone know the mind set of Union bosses who progressively destroy the jobs they profess to safeguard??

This problem will soon be over now that BA has "
merged"
with Iberia. The BA aircraft livery will change to Iberia. The BA staff will be replaced by Iberia staff. The company Head Office will be established in Spain. Then the whole sorry mess that was BA can just vanish into the sunset, just another extinct dinosaur. Other airlines will be only too pleased to take over surplus routes. The Spanish owners of Heathrow seem to be having the same success with running down Heathrow to encourage the use of perhaps Madrid as a replacement "
european hub"

British Airways Cabin Crew are why I will never fly with British Airways again. It's not that they're bad at their job. It's that you can absolutely guarantee they wont be "
doing"
their job whenever holiday season rolls around. Families slave away for years, scrimping &
saving &
doing without, booking leave months in advance to take their dream holidays of a life-time - only to have their plans decimated by these shameless, greedy sky-waitresses holding the nation to ransom. Where is their 'Year of Austerity'? Fire the lot of them. They deserve nothing less.

sallyann wrote:

British Airways Cabin Crew are why I will never fly with British Airways again. It's not that they're bad at their job. It's that you can absolutely guarantee they wont be "
doing"
their job whenever holiday season rolls around. Families slave away for years, scrimping &
saving &
doing without, booking leave months in advance to take their dream holidays of a life-time - only to have their plans decimated by these shameless, greedy sky-waitresses holding the nation to ransom. Where is their 'Year of Austerity'? Fire the lot of them. They deserve nothing less.

Agreed they are becoming greedy beyond belief.

Plus have you tried to eat the food :Cry3: :Cry3: :Cry3:

Just received an email to say they are having a sale:

Virgin and BA sale
It's flights galore in this issue. We have everything you need this week to find yourself the ideal flight with the last chance to take advantage of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic's flight sale, plus more fantastic deals from £99 return or less.

Oddy

oddball wrote:

Just received an email to say they are having a sale:

Virgin and BA sale
It's flights galore in this issue. We have everything you need this week to find yourself the ideal flight with the last chance to take advantage of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic's flight sale, plus more fantastic deals from £99 return or less.

Oddy

That's if your not left starnded