The Socialist 8 July 2010 Mass action can stop cuts 
Build united action to stop the cuts Con-Dem budget cuts: Hitting those on benefits hardest How will George Osborne's budget affect families? Housing benefit cuts - increasing homelessness Cuts to disability benefits will increase misery Fight the savage cuts by Neath/Port Talbot council Hull: Rallying against the austerity budget 'Godfather' turning in his grave BNP forced to abandon its 'festival of hate' South Africa: 5,000 sacked miners on strike Organise against academies now! Limited new 'final' offer facing BA cabin crew PCS will fight new attack on redundancy pay Unison by-election: fighting leadership needed Shrewsbury Pickets march for justice Lindsey refinery fire death: inquiry needed Unite general secretary election: Interview: Ken Clarke's prison plans Pride, prejudice, fightback and hypocrisy Socialism 2010 Saturday 6 - Sunday 7 November When the financial wizardry lost its magic |
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Home | The Socialist 8 July 2010 | Join the Socialist Party Limited new 'final' offer facing BA cabin crewBritish Airways cabin crew began voting on 6 July on a new 'final' offer from the company. Despite the rhetoric of BA management the new offer seems to be similar to the old offer put forward prior to the last round of strikes. Neil CafferkyAlthough there are some guarantees on terms and conditions that were not in the last offer, the substantive issues that led to the strike have not been addressed. The company's intention to set up a 'New Fleet' of new starters on inferior terms and conditions to current employees remains in place. This new fleet could be used as a battering ram against conditions currently enjoyed by cabin crew. The issue of victimisations has also not been addressed, with staff travel still withdrawn from cabin crew who have participated in strike action and 60 union members are still suspended. It is therefore incorrect for the national Unite leadership to make no recommendation on this offer. In total the offer amounts to a serious attack on trade unionism at the company. For example, variable pay top ups "will only be made to those crew who do not participate in industrial action"! This threat alone is sufficient reason to oppose this offer as it discriminates against the right of workers to go on strike. Quite clearly the aim of this 'offer' is to postpone the impending ballot on continued industrial action. The refusal to put forward a recommendation is a failure of leadership by the national officers of Unite, particularly the joint general secretaries. A failure to clearly reject this poor deal can only raise doubts in the minds of cabin crew that the national leadership is fully committed to getting a better deal. Further action neededIt would have been far more constructive if Unite had recommended a rejection and pushed on to campaigning for a biggest possible 'Yes' vote for further industrial action in the upcoming ballot as quickly as possible. This time could also be used to campaign within the rest of the BA workforce for greater practical support for this dispute, up to and including simultaneous strike action. United action remains the key to defeating the generalised assault on terms and conditions and trade unionism at BA. In this issue Socialist Party editorial
Socialist Party feature
Anti-cuts campaign
Youth fight for jobs Anti-racism
International socialist news and analysis
Education
BA dispute
Civil Service
Workplace news
Workplace analysis
Interview with Brian Caton
Socialist Party LGBT
Socialist Party events
Socialist Party reviews
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