BA asks staff to work for nothing

[Neoshoegal]

What, like Woolworths? Unfortunately, you never know what's going to happen in the future. Having read the article for RRR, I watched the news video on there, and it said Six Flags has filed for Bankruptcy, so you never know!

But you should check your insurance. Some companies offer coverage for if an airline goes bust, so if you have that, then that's about as safe as you can get. Besides, if they can just get through the recession, things will be good again.

It is different from Woolworths in that BA is global brand. Before I moved to the UK, I knew BA, I had seen their adverts, I could fly with them, ... But I hadn't even heard about Woolworths until after I moved here. 2 very different types of companies. If a company like BA goes under, it has worldwide implications, so the government would probably take more of a stake in trying to rescue them.

Last time I renewed my annual travel insurance, I made sure I was covered for airlines going bust. (about 2 years ago we flew with Maxjet, a month after we returned they went under, coulndn't cope with fuel prices, we were so disappointed as we really enjoyed flying with them)

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

At a rate of more than £60K/month, I know where I'd be looking to make cut backs.
£60K a month is bloody huge wage, even half of that would still be a bloody huge wage. But it would save BA £360K a year, not insignificant.

I agree, tough times and everybody has to make sacrifices. DH had a choice of reduced hours (actually going to half his hours, meaning about half the income he normally gets) or his company would have to close. And that has been going on since last November and no end in sight yet.

I do know what you mean NSG.

For information, BA long haul pilots are paid £160,000 a year, which equates to around £13,000 a month. When you look at that, then as Cheif exec, WW is only being paid the going rate for such a huge company.

Have you seen what cheif executives of Councils, health authorities and yes, even Tades Union leaders are paid?

How many football clubs have gone bust while their star players earn over£100,000 a week?

In other industries people have been made to take long holidays on reduced pay, take Honda for example, three months on reduced wage then a pay cut when they come back to work.
At our comapny, our hours have been increased for the same pay, plus job cuts.
What BA are doing is no different to many industries in this crisis.

 

[Neoshoegal]

I do know what you mean NSG.

For information, BA long haul pilots are paid £160,000 a year, which equates to around £13,000 a month. When you look at that, then as Cheif exec, WW is only being paid the going rate for such a huge company.

Have you seen what cheif executives of Councils, health authorities and yes, even Tades Union leaders are paid?

How many football clubs have gone bust while their star players earn over£100,000 a week?

In other industries people have been made to take long holidays on reduced pay, take Honda for example, three months on reduced wage then a pay cut when they come back to work.
At our comapny, our hours have been increased for the same pay, plus job cuts.
What BA are doing is no different to many industries in this crisis.

I do understand that big company execs get big wages, but if your company is making such losses then maybe it's the higher up people like him that should take more of cut than people who may already be struggling with mortgages and such. It's tough times for everybody, but for someone to be paid a month less (even stretched out over 3 to 6 months) when they are still raking in such amounts, well, I find it a bit hard. I know he's working a month for free too, but it just can't be so hard when all the other months you get paid such a huge amount.
As I said, DH is on a reduced wage at the moment and his been for several months with no end in sight yet, and times have been very difficult for us (needing to get extended overdrafts and such). Things are looking up at the moment, because he's now been investing more time and effort into my business and making it grow.

And as for council chief executives, right, not going into that now... One local council member was visiting DH's workplace the other day and was parked on double yellow line. He asked if they had a parking lot, and when he was told the closest parking was a pay and display, he just not bothered. DH warned him about overeager traffic wardens in the area to which he kindly replied "They know my number plate, they won't give me a ticket"

 

[islandmum]

I do know what you mean NSG.

For information, BA long haul pilots are paid £160,000 a year, which equates to around £13,000 a month. .

with a father as a long haul BA 747 skipper I can say that comment is a bit misleading. Yes there are those of them who do indeed earn that much and more, but they are top tier, end of the line, top 100 guys, training captains etc.

Your average (which majority are) long haul first officer is on less than £70k and Captain around £90k - so a pretty far from the £160k. Pay rises with seniority so the big boys in at 25 years+ service around 50 - 55 years old are the ones earning in excess of £100k and up. Its not a set salary across the board.

The pilots union is far more "user friendly" with the corporate BA discussions on pay cuts, freezes etc rather than the cabin crew and groundstaff unions historically. Lets hope like the pilots union they see the long term goal rather than the short term loss and focus on a solution to keep BA viable in its current autonimous state.

 

[higgy66]

I would rather work one month free and keep my job than be made redundant, especially as the wage loss is spread over a few months.

The CE had to offer to work for nothing - he had no choice - he's dammed either way.

I'm sure if this idea works and the company can turn itself around and start making a profit then those workers who helped out will be rewarded.

It makes sense to me.

 

[Annabell]

If BA is following Cathay Pacific as example then indeed people get conpensated in good times.

Few years back when Cathay pacific was in bad times, they had introduced
the no-pay leave for their staff. Staff could choose to have few weeks off
without any pay. It was not a mandatory thing and you could choose...
Few years later when it was going better with the airline, they had re-paid this back to those staff that had opted for the no-paid leave during the bad times.

Seems such a good solution to me.