Short-sightedness?

We listened with amazement at the decision of the Unite union to organise a strike to cause maximum damage to their company, British Airways, and maximum difficulty to hundreds of thousands of travellers over the Christmas period. As the last strike was in 2007 and cost £80 million, it seems that the union has something of a death wish for its members.

It is never easy for an outsider to know what is behind such disputes, (I am not sure that voting members fully understand either.)

It seems that the company, which in the last financial year lost £400 million, could lose as much as £600 million this year even before the strike, which itself could cost as much as £300 million, had attempted to cut the number of stewards and stewardesses. This was in an effort to compete with the low cost airlines. The company claimed, and the union has not challenged it, that their staff are better paid than those on Virgin Airways. It is clear that staff savings had to be made. Did the company impose the changes without full consultation? Is this what it is really about?

Whatever the facts, it remains that the company which has seen a near doubling of its pension fund black hole to £3.7 billion - the largest in the private sector, will lose customers not only at Christmas but permanently. There must be a real question about the ability to remain a large carrier.

The Communication Workers are also slowly committing suicide, but they have a government and public sector behind them. B.A. staff have no such protection, and are risking their jobs when there are many unemployed who could fill them, and many competitors who would be pleased to take their traffic!

A very short-sighted decision!