British Airways have to cancel flights

[oby]

British Airways have been forced to cancel strikes here in the UK.

The company who make the inflight meals sacked 800 workers yesterday. The baggage handlers and drivers have come out in support for these workers.

Over 60 short haul flights have been cancelled so far.

Go the workers!

 

[financeguy]

'Go the workers' - hmmmm

Oby, did you vote in my political spectrum poll yet?

 

[oby]

No finance guy, felt a bit out in the cold being a 'leftie'!!!

 

[financeguy]

Out in the cold?? Have you looked at the results to date?

 

[nbcrusader]

Time for replacements!

 

[oby]

In your poll most are solid liberal, I'm way left of that. Took the other one and came out about the same as Gandhi!

 

[verte76]

Oh, it's to stop a strike? I saw a headline about grounding flights and freaked out and thought it had something to do with terrorist threats. You expect strikes. Whew!

 

[bonoman]

How a company can lay off 800 workers is beyond me.

We are having a strike in our neck of the woods with a telecomunications company. They provide a load of internet service, when the union went on strike they blocked the unions website to all their customers!! Dirty companies!

There was a poll here the other day of all the non-union companies in the prov. two thirds of companies polled said they were having work shortages, go figure!

 

[BonosSaint]

Go the workers!

 

[oby]

Found out this morning that people who were off sick/maternity/holidays were also sacked. Representative of the company said they would be reinstated.

Also heard that people were told they were sacked by megaphone.

It makes you sick.

The BA staff walked out when they heard this, I think there must be something underlying there too.

I know its hard for the people trying to travel but sometimes you've got to see it from other people's perspective.

 

[bammo2]

the thing that's causing all the controversy is the fact that the sacked workers worked for a completely different company, Gate Gourmet. The only connection is that they provide the in flight meals for BA. But since the BA workers went out in sympathy, it's BA that are bearing the brunt of it. They reckon they're losing millions every day the strike goes on as a result.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4144386.stm

 

[Sherry Darling]

Sign me up with the "solidarity for the workers" crowd. The livelihoods of those folks is more important to me than folks who are (admittedly quite) inconvienced on their way home. I'm impressed and hope this results in them getting their jobs back!

 

[financeguy]

So it has nothing to do with BA workers, it affects a different company.

So they are blackmailing the public........well what else are unions there for?

 

[bammo2]

yeah, the company who sacked the 600 workers, Gate Gourmet, are a Texas based company. Nothign to do with BA apart from supplying their in flight catering.

Personally, I feel that the BA workers have done a good job in highlighting the sacked workers plight, as without this strike in support, it would have had nowhere near teh amount of publicity. It's a shame that BA has had to be drawn into all of this though - they are bearing the brunt of the disruption, and had only just recovered from negative PR surrounding previous industrial actions.

 

[Liesje]

Strikes can be hard for everyone - BA, the travelers, AND some of the people on strike I bet. My grandpa worked as head plumber for the city for 50 years and towards the end of his stint, the city workers all went on strike. My grandpa didn't want to b/c he really couldn't afford it, but what can you do? He had to get another job while the strike went on. Just another perspective I guess.

 

[Rono]

yeah, the company who sacked the 600 workers, Gate Gourmet, are a Texas based company. Nothign to do with BA apart from supplying their in flight catering.

Personally, I feel that the BA workers have done a good job in highlighting the sacked workers plight, as without this strike in support, it would have had nowhere near teh amount of publicity. It's a shame that BA has had to be drawn into all of this though - they are bearing the brunt of the disruption, and had only just recovered from negative PR surrounding previous industrial actions.

I wonder if american workers did strike also. I realy don`t see any solidarity between workers here in the states.




..and i wanna go home next saturday Is the strike over ?

 

[verte76]

Gosh, that's terrible. They just fired them, no talks, no nothing...........

 

[nbcrusader]

Gosh, that's terrible. They just fired them, no talks, no nothing...........

They fired non-working workers.

The dispute began when Gate Gourmet dismissed 600 staff after an unofficial strike on Wednesday over the company's restructuring plans.

 

[bammo2]

the union is taking legal advice over the sackings

American-style union-busting tactics (not my words) don't go down well over here

 

[U2@NYC]

Most unions are politicized and do not do their job of protecting the employees. The majority of union delegates want their own benefit before protecting their colleagues.

So, in my opinion, the majority of unions deserve the bad reputation they got.

 

[DrTeeth]

the union is taking legal advice over the sackings

Unions

Unofficial strikes

 

[nbcrusader]

Most unions are politicized and do not do their job of protecting the employees. The majority of union delegates want their own benefit before protecting their colleagues.

So, in my opinion, the majority of unions deserve the bad reputation they got.

I think most rank & file workers would be shocked to hear the salaries of the union officials they support.

 

[VertigoGal]

I'm not anti-worker or anything, but I'd have to agree more with financeguy, U2@NYC, and NBC on this...Unions aren't really the golden standard themselves.

 

[U2@NYC]

Unions

Unofficial strikes

90% of Unions

Every single union in Argentina

 

[VertigoGal]

CNN's saying the strike is over...

 

[oby]

Strike isn't over, BA are managing to get some planes in the sky.

Seeing the catering workers on the tv the majority are older asian workers on pretty crappy money, they walked out on Wednesday in protest about restructuring. Their Union reps are talking to the company with the arbitration folk.

The BA workers, mostly baggage handlers, is unofficial, the union is urging them to go back but there must be something underlying about the whole thing to get them all to walk out.

I have to say I admire the BA guys for taking up the cause of fellow workers in this day and age where most folk are only out for themselves.

 

[VertigoGal]

Oh, nevermind then.

 

[Rono]

I think most rank & file workers would be shocked to hear the salaries of the union officials they support.

I guess the unions are different in the Netherlands than in the states. And that the officials earn more than me, it only fair because they have a hard job. Attacks by politician, companie bosses ect.


I only know that my Union did a very well job for defending my rigts to go on pension with 59, my overtime payment and my wage. I trust my union more then a big companie boss that only want to make more and more money.

 

[zonelistener]

I guess the unions are different in the Netherlands than in the states. And that the officials earn more than me, it only fair because they have a hard job. Attacks by politician, companie bosses ect.


I only know that my Union did a very well job for defending my rigts to go on pension with 59, my overtime payment and my wage. I trust my union more then a big companie boss that only want to make more and more money.

HUH?

So, Union bosses deserve more money....but CEOs and company presidents don't?

I think CEOs and company heads face even more pressure these days than any Union boss could ever face.

EVERYONE at my company is facing pay cuts. All labor groups and management. Guess what at least one of the Unions did? Yup....raise the dues.

but hey.....

MMMMMMMMM, kool aid.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

So, Union bosses deserve more money....but CEOs and company presidents don't?

No, but it does seem a little silly to say workers are being manipulated because their union leader earns a higher wage than they do when you consider that if they work for a corporation like Microsoft or Nike the CEO of that company is earning a salary which is many, many times higher than that of a union leader. Nobody seems to think workers are being manipulated because BA bosses earn salaries of several million pounds per year, but they're quick to label it manipulation when a union leader earns a salary of around £80,000 per year.

The workers productivity is directly funding the CEOs huge salary, just as the workers union dues are funding the union leaders salary.