Industry | 2009.12.14
Cuts in long haul cabins touch a raw nerve with proud BA 747 crew
Imposed reductions in staffing top a long list of Unite disputes with national airline
The decision by British Airways management to impose staffing changes is the most divisive factor in a dispute threatening to ground Britain\'s national carrier over the Christmas period.
Steve Turner, who covers aviation at the Unite union, said BA\'s decision to introduce the changes unilaterally was the key factor in the strike.
Since November BA\'s long-haul services have been operating with fewer cabin crew members as part of a £140m cost-cutting drive. The airline is losing £1.6m a day and is expected to lose £1bn over the next two years.
"The primary issue is that they are doing it by imposition. The solution may well be how we deal with the removal of impositions," said Turner.
Willie Walsh, the BA chief executive, appeared to slam the door on that potential compromise tonight by refusing to roll back the changes. He is adamant that premium-class bookings, the source of more than half BA\'s income, will not return to pre-credit crunch levels and that the airline needs to change its cost base fundamentally.
Last month\'s staffing changes included reducing the cabin crew on all Boeing 747 long-haul flights from Heathrow by one to 14. On some "high workload" flights, such as daytime journeys to Cape Town and Mexico City, two crew members have been removed, reducing staffing from 16 to 14.
BA says it is achieving the changes through voluntary redundancies and the introduction of flexible working hours.
The importance of the changes to Unite members is illustrated by a union document detailing 18 separate areas of dispute with BA. The first six points in the document, which provides the basis for yesterday\'s strike votes, refer to concerns over crew reductions – with complaints such as pay further down the list.
The cut to staffing has touched a raw nerve among flight crew for whom the old corporate slogan "The World\'s Favourite Airline" still resonates. One cabin crew member at today\'s Unite meeting said there had been a marked deterioration in standards since the changes. "We have always taken pride in being a cut above the rest and now we have to ask, why fly with BA?" she said. A service shift comprised of offering drinks, a meal and a duty-free selection was now taking up to three and a half hours instead of the previous two and a half.
BA argues that the staffing changes are not contractual and can be introduced without altering contracts, thus avoiding industrial negotiations.
A high court hearing in February will decide whether the changes are legal but Unite rejects calls to park the industrial dispute until then.
"We don\'t care whether it\'s legal or not. It is unacceptable. The only way we have to address unacceptable behaviour from an employer is to strike," said Turner.
He added that Unite would call more strikes if the 12-day walkout passed without agreement. Cabin crew would receive about £30 daily strike pay costing Unite about £500,000 a day.
The list of disputes includes objections to a two-year pay freeze in basic pay and allowances and a 20% cut in food subsidies for Heathrow and Gatwick staff.
Len McCluskey, the assistant general secretary of Unite, said cabin crew were not mindless militants needlessly pursuing confrontation. He added: "They are decent men and women who do a decent job and are proud of the company."
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/dec/15/ba-long-haul-cabin-crew
