So as well as a fearful staff British Airways would find that it had divided teams
Posted in General on 16. Aug, 2010
So, as well as a fearful staff, British Airways would find that it had divided teams. And these employees work not behind the scenes, far away, but in the aircraft, tending to the passengers.For all these reasons I hope the company will withdraw the punishments it has announced for striking staff In many ways British Airways is a wonderful airline. Indeed, depending on the outcome, staff might come back feeling humiliated. These consequences would arise only because punishment and fear had been introduced into the company’s way of conducting its relationship with its employees.Equally, people would come back divided into two groups: those who had worked through the dispute, and those on the blacklist There is always tension in such circumstances. The bullies might promise not to issue any more threats, but nobody would be much reassured.
Having been personally threatened, strikers may wish to hurt the company, even in contradiction of their own self-interest.Moreover, after a settlement, on whatever terms, staff would return to their tasks in a fearful mood, frightened of their managers. When people are threatened they react with intransigence, sometimes with anger, often irrationally. If the stoppages do begin tomorrow, then simply because of the company’s tactics they may be carried on for much longer than would otherwise be the case. It is, anyway, a species of bullying.Even on a practical level, British Airways’ punishment drill is likely to prove a mistake. I think the company is engaging in an almost immoral procedure. Moreover, where unions give up their right to strike, as they may do in essential services, employees are compensated through special wage agreements But this is not what British Airways is proposing. I mentioned the non-executive directors, because they are supposed to point out to hard-driving executives the full consequences of their actions.
This is the first time, to my knowledge, that such a threat has ever been made Or perhaps striking cabin crew will merely lose their jobs. And if the company in its mercy decides not to visit these punishments upon them, then they know for certain that after the strike they will be on a blacklist for three years.By introducing the notion of punishment for striking, British Airways demonstrates that it does not fully accept the right of people to belong to a trades union, a right which is expressly protected in British law and also secured by Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.The essence of union membership is that a group of workers may withdraw their labour if they so choose. British Airways’ list of sanctions means that any stewards or stewardesses going on strike must contemplate being financially ruined by lawsuits and perhaps losing their homes as a result. This is what cabin crew have been told will happen to them if they go on strike:l they could be sued for damages as a result of the losses incurred by the company;l they could be dismissed for breaching their contract;l they will have removed any options for early retirement or severance available under various re-structuring schemes;l they will not be eligible for promotion until March 2000;l they will lose all their staff travel until March 2000.I say it is a terrible action because it is designed to frighten ordinary people.