British Airways strike: 'Very few staff reach the £50k peak quoted by BA to the press'

Published on Friday 19 March 2010 21:51

OUR customers like to be served by competent, professional people who would deal swiftly and effectively with emergencies.

• BA staff leave Sandown Park, Surrey, after a Unite meeting of cabin crew was held for strike action talks. Picture: AFP/Getty Images

Cabin crew are trained firefighters, first-aiders who can administer certain drugs, have a knowledge of aircraft systems and deal with disputes onboard.

BA want a new fleet of cheaper staff. If existing staff want promotion, they will have to join the new fleet, which earns only a flat rate of 2.60 per hour flying pay, with no meal allowances, overtime or long-range payments.

"This will lead to a higher turnover of staff and less experience on board. New crew will operate the long-range trips. Currently, basic pay is 12,000. It dropped from 17,000 in 1997 when BA introduced new pay scales for new crew. To this basic sum can be added allowances for food while away overseas, overtime and extra payments for working 6.5 hours.

The level of allowance varies from 60 for a three-day trip to India, to 800 for a four-day trip to Japan – the difference being the cost of eating there and the longer-duty day.

The average total pay for BA main crew including allowances is similar to Virgin, about 22,000 (12,000 to 14,000 basic plus 6,000 to 8,000 in allowances). Very few staff at the top reach the 50,000 peak quoted by BA to the press. Senior staff in BA will have served twice the length of Virgin's most senior staff, which explains why BA staff can be more expensive.

BA is now run by accountants. It has been cutting back on the costs of food and amenities. So a first-class passenger who has paid 3,000 is refused a steak because only six are loaded for 14 customers. They advertise fine wines in first class, but sometimes only one bottle of claret is provided for 14 passengers.

Many times there are shortages of amenities such as wash bags, plates, cutlery and duvets, which is just not good enough for the money the customer pays. Crew report these shortages but nothing is done.

Crew are frustrated and angry that they cannot give the service passengers expect. We are forever apologising. Taking strike action is against the ethics of cabin crew. But we have families, mortgages and bills to pay – we cannot afford to lose 7,000 a year. We don't want to disrupt the travel plans of our customers, but the company won't listen and industrial action is our only remaining weapon.

BA strikes - your questions answered

What can I do if my flight has been cancelled?

British Airways will allow you to either rebook on another flight up to 355 days ahead or receive a refund.

Is there a time limit for this?

Yes. BA says passengers must rebook or request refunds before their flight is due to depart, otherwise they may lose their money.

What about flights during the strikes that are still operating?

Passengers with bookings between today and Monday can rebook onto another flight up to 355 days ahead, but they cannot get a refund unless the fare conditions for their ticket allows it. The same applies to flights between next Tuesday and Friday.

Will this also apply during the second, four-day strike, from next Saturday?

This has yet to be confirmed. BA says it would finalise its flight arrangements early next week.

Which Scottish routes are affected by the strike?

Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen to and from Heathrow, and Edinburgh and Glasgow to and from Gatwick

Why are BA flights between Edinburgh, Glasgow and London City airport not affected?

Because they are operated by a BA subsidiary, CityFlyer, whose cabin crew are not involved in the dispute.

Will travel insurance cover me against any disruption?

Not necessarily. The Association of British Insurers has warned that policies taken out after the strike dates were announced on Friday, 12 March will not cover against such losses.

Has the cabin crew union Unite honoured its pledge not to strike over the Easter holidays?

Not in large parts of Scotland where the two-week school break coincides with the start of the second strike next Saturday – a week earlier than in England – such as south-west and north-east Scotland, and across the Highlands and Islands.

Is there a threat of further disruption?

Yes. Unite has said there may be further strikes after 14 April.

How many flights will operate?

BA plans to run 60 per cent of its long-haul services and 30 per cent of short-haul services at Heathrow, and all long-haul and half of short-haul at Gatwick.

What are other airlines doing?

Bmi, which competes with BA on all three of its Scotland-Heathrow routes, will put larger aircraft on 69 flights, adding 5,000 extra seats. Flybe is also offering more seats on several UK routes from Gatwick and Southampton.