Metropol

Read this (albeit bastardised - my memory's not great) comment in Metro yesterday - opinions please.

Saw a member of BA cabin crew get booed yesterday on the Gatwick Express. What do you think - fair game?

James H wrote:Read this (albeit bastardised - my memory's not great) comment in Metro yesterday - opinions please.

Saw a member of BA cabin crew get booed yesterday on the Gatwick Express. What do you think - fair game?

From my perspective, I couldn't survive on a 30% pay cut. Its not as if being cabin crew is a desk job, where you could potentially take a second position to supplement your income - if they are doing long-hauls with lay-overs then I can't imagine how they could also tale a temp position somewhere else.

At the same time though, people are being very badly affected if they can't now travel to be with friends and loved ones over Christmas. Some won't even get refunds, if they booked after it was announced there may be industrial action. I think that's a force majeure in the contract of sale. My sister is coming back from New Zealand for Christmas. I'd be gutted and angry if she couldn't come - even through I'm mindful of how bad it must be for the crew who's wages are being slashed.

Everyone has their own interests at heart - passengers and crew - so although I don't think its nice to boo them, I can understand why some might.

EasyJet, Virgin, BMI et al pay their cabin crew a lot less than BA. More and more passengers see going on a plane as like hopping on a flying bus and are choosing to go no frills because air travel isn't seen as a luxury anymore. So how is BA meant to compete unless they also economise? They've already done away with a lot of luxuries and still they can't afford to keep up. So it's either wage freezes and cuts now or the company goes bust and they'll all be out of a job.

I don't agree with booing and I can't abide the word 'scab', but come on, they've got to be realistic about this.

Gavin Scott wrote:From my perspective, I couldn't survive on a 30% pay cut. Its not as if being cabin crew is a desk job, where you could potentially take a second position to supplement your income - if they are doing long-hauls with lay-overs then I can't imagine how they could also tale a temp position somewhere else.

Working tax credits? For the ones who've got kids, anyway.

Chie wrote:EasyJet, Virgin, BMI et al pay their cabin crew a lot less than BA. More and more passengers see going on a plane as like hopping on a flying bus and are choosing to go no frills because air travel isn't seen as a luxury anymore. So how is BA meant to compete unless they also economise? They've already done away with a lot of luxuries and still they can't afford to keep up. So it's either wage freezes and cuts now or the company goes bust and they'll all be out of a job.

I don't agree with booing and I can't abide the word 'scab', but come on, they've got to be realistic about this.

Gavin Scott wrote:From my perspective, I couldn't survive on a 30% pay cut. Its not as if being cabin crew is a desk job, where you could potentially take a second position to supplement your income - if they are doing long-hauls with lay-overs then I can't imagine how they could also tale a temp position somewhere else.

Working tax credits? For the ones who've got kids, anyway.

Uh huh, how many male airstewards do you know with children?

Besides, in essence you're saying the State should supplement a private company not paying adequate wages. The Exchequer needs every penny coming in right now.

Some would argue that redundancies would be the fairer option - but of course then BA have to make redundancy payments.

Asking everyone to take a 30% paycut means most will now struggle to make ends meet.

Gavin Scott wrote:Uh huh, how many male airstewards do you know with children?

Hehe! It's not called Qantas for nothing! Oh no, that's a different airline!

Nick Harvey wrote:

Gavin Scott wrote:Uh huh, how many male airstewards do you know with children?

Hehe! It's not called Qantas for nothing! Oh no, that's a different airline!

Gavin Scott wrote:Uh huh, how many male airstewards do you know with children?

I don't know any male airstewards.

Gavin Scott wrote:Besides, in essence you're saying the State should supplement a private company not paying adequate wages. The Exchequer needs every penny coming in right now.

Yes it does - I wonder how much corporation tax, income tax and VAT BA creates? If the company goes bankrupt all of that will be lost and the workers will be on the dole anyway, so perhaps supplementing each steward/ess with a few grand a year is worth it?

Chie wrote: I don't know any male airstewards.

That's NOT WHAT I HEARD