British Airways Leaves One Million Passengers Screwed For Christmas!
British Airways staff will participate in their first walkout in 12 years that will last from December 22nd through January 2nd!
WTF?!
Unfortunately, everyone who has booked their flights with the airline have little chance in finding other arrangements due to the holiday rush! Union leaders say that the decision to strike came "with a heavy heart" after 92.4% of its members voted on the action due to escalated pay and working conditions.
"You don't often get ballot results like this unless there is a deep-rooted sense of anxiety, concern and anger," said Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of Leaders of Unite. "The problem with intransigent management is that you can push people so far, but eventually workers will say that enough is enough. We would like passengers to be angry with the company. It is something of an irony that the people responsible for making BA the best airline in the world are now engaged in a dispute."
And the airlines will not budge!
"British Airways is extremely disappointed that Unite is planning massive disruption for hundreds of thousands of our customers over the Christmas/New Year holiday period. A 12-day strike would be completely unjustified and a huge over-reaction to the modest changes we have announced for cabin crew which are intended to help us recover from record financial losses. Unite's cynical decision betrays a total lack of concern for our customers, our business and other employees within British Airways," said the company.
Unite claims it has put forth a proposal that would have saved the company almost £60 million, including a pay cut, but no one will listen! British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh believes the airlines need to drastically cut costs to ensure its survival!
Wonder how much he gets paid!
The 13,000 employees will cost the company tens of millions of pounds every day!
Happy Holidays, stranded travelers!
It's a Guitar Hero Christmas!
Kate Hudson And A-Rod Split?!
that blows
Power to the People! Suck it big corporations. Hopefully Perez you aren't blaming the workers, and not the rich, selfish airlines that are the real problem. If so, shame on you.
Go workers!
British Airways has been going downhill for years. I blame Willie Walsh. The man has an ego larger than a 747. BA = Barely Acceptable. I'm for the Union on this one.
This is why I stay HOME!
You left out the part where their staff is paid more than double that of Virgin and their cabin service directors are the highest paid in Britain, over 50,000 pounds.
I come from a "union family" and am all about the uniting of workers against employers when necessary, but this time of the year?
I believe BA will be painted as the initial "villains" but eventually that will change and the union will find themselves being villainized.
Thats crazy.. anyone who goes on a walkout should have their job revoked and be fired. I am sure they can find tons of new people that actually need a job this holiday season.
I am one of these stranded travelers! I am beyond angry. With all the people in this economy that are jobless you would think that the people who still have jobs would not take that for granted! And with BA having one of the highest paid cabin crew, they should quit their crying. Happy Holidays.
Pretty soon their Unions will fuck up their economy just like they did ours. Rat bastards, I hope they're happy for fucking up everyones christmas holiday
How about- happy holidays, buttfucked employees? BA are notoriously shite employers and if their staff are finally sticking it to them, so be it.
Good for them! They are fed up with their conditions and taking a stand against management. Though it may be inconvenient to travelers for 12 measly days out of the year, the other 353 days consist of suffering for these workers. Good luck to all those on strike, and congrats for having the balls to play this heavy card.
What a bunch of low-life scabs.
Too bad for the passengers. However, I fully back unions and this is how things go sometimes!
I personally think it is extremely cruel to leave so many people stranded for the holidays, no matter what their reason is. What about those who have been saving for months for a trip home and are denied it? Or those students trying to travel home to mom and dad for the holidays? I personally think this is extremely selfish and evil. Yes, evil. I don't know anyone who has entirely happy with their positions/ jobs/ companies, but you do not see the whole world packing up and saying "Let's strike". What is this world coming to, that whenever we don't get things our way we whine and throw tantrums like little children. What kind of example are we showing our children?
It sickens me! And ALL those employees should be ashamed and torn away from THEIR families for the holidays. There is no reason to stike during the holidays aside from them getting a LONGER vacation!
I say fucking FIRE all thier asses and let them celabrate christmas next year on thier fucking welfare checks!
Selfish Assholes!
I hate unions. Union members are such scum
Fuck you, Perez. Oh, sucks to be those travelers….no fucktard, sucks to be the travel agents because the public will now expect them to get them other flights. Sorry, fuckers, there's nothing left. I love these asswipes who want to travel during christmas and the only thing avail is a $3000 fare!!! Well, duh!!! I'm a travel agent and it sucks sometimes being the middle man because we do get blamed for the shit that the airlines do.
lmfao
Tip: Never, ever fly through Heathrow Airport. Was in London in 2003 - it is the nation of islam. Overrun with Muslims in Birkas. An overpriced, over hyped, country I've been to three times - will never ever go back.
Why do they hate Americans? Because we haven't turned our country over to MUSLIMS like england has.
FUCK ENGLAND.
I'm sure there's people willing to take their places… why don't they just hire in some scabs?
Never, ever, fly through heathrow airport. It's the nation of ISLAM.
Do you know how much it COSTS to fly on BA compared to other airlines??? Maybe that has to do with their shitty business. I compared before I booked to go home (transatlantic) and their flights were at least 400 dollars or more above the others, at their best.
I'm all for people sticking it to the big companies, but when you are being paid double what anyone else in your field is and the airline is trying to make cuts in order to not lay people off then you're the asshole.
One of my friends who hasn't been able to afford to come home for Christmas in 3 years finally saved up the money and is now in a holding pattern wondering if she is going to be able to see her family. To make matters worse she isn't just flying from England, her BA flight is a connecting flight and the other airline told her that since her flight is non-refundable she is going to lose the money for the flight to London. Since she booked her flights 4 months ago the tickets were cheaper and now even when she gets her refund it will not be enough to purchase a ticket with a different airline. Plus, the refunds aren't immediate so she would have to come up with the money for the new flight and get her refund later. Maybe the people who work for BA can afford to do this, but not everyone can.
Hey BA I know a bunch of people that are out of work and will come take over those jobs for half the pay. Maybe being out of work will make these people more grateful of what they have.
Re: GuessWhoSD – what the hell?? Britain isn't a nation of Islam and muslims only make up 6% of the population. That's a terrible and racist thing to say, some extremists live in the UK because our government is to soft, not our people. OUR GOVERNMENT.
Do these idiots know how many millions of people are out of work. If they want to strike for more money, fire the lot, and rehire new people. I'm tired of this crap — when people are losing their homes, jobs, and those who won't have a chance at a Christmas. So these bastards decide to punish their customers - I say F em and FIRE them.
Well I guess thats one way to get the holidays off… what a bunch of $#@%. I think about all the people who would kill to have the opportunity to return to work even for half their original salary.. Wonder how the employees feel when they are unemployeed…And Mrs Lambert, It is the general population that is getting screwed.. not the corp
Re: Singsing225 – Singsing225 you're an idiot. !"12 measly days out of the year??" Umm.. Its only Christmas ! It could have been any other month this year, and it wouldnt have mattered as much, but they choose to do it on Christmas! Think of all the families that wont get to see eachother, just because they feel life isnt treating them well. Get over it you morons! And stop ruining it for everybody else!
In this economy they should be thankful they have a job at all. I'm sure there are millions of people willing to take their place.
Some unions are just business-destroying leeches. The striking British Airways workers should be ashamed of themselves. They are ruining Christmas for many people and destroying British Airways, which is already in serious trouble. Maybe they're just bluffing. If not, the tactic will backfire. Many of us have taken a hit in this economy, and if they would rather destroy the company that employs them than readjust their expectations in light of reality, the people whose holidays were ruined will not support them.
If the walkout sinks this company, none of them will have JOBS any more, so they won't have to worry about the size of the raise. Sinking Christmas could be the death knell. Sometimes people are unclear on the concept.
anyone without a union have to put up with pay freezes and pay cuts, we just get on with it, BA will suffer alright but what about the passengers who won't get to see their loved ones at Christmas? It was the same with the tube strike, it was us commuters who suffered, even though the people striking earn more than some doctors get .. no sympathy for them they're lucky to have jobs in this climate, just ask all the people who have been made redundant before Christmas ..
Re: GuessWhoSD – er muslims are ony about 5 or 6% of the population in the uk, thats about 10 times more than a country like the usa but its not a majority. i live in oldham, a fairly big town thats about 30% muslim, there were problems a while back but nowerday most people get on perfectly well with them, stop demonising a religion