“Brutish Airways” Advertisement by Unite

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今日、ガーディアン紙を読んでいて見つけた、ブリティッシュ・エアウェイズ（BA）を糾弾する労働組合Unite（ユナイト）の新聞広告（写真下）。今、BAと、90％ものBA客室乗務員の加入するイギリス最大の労組・Uniteとの争いが泥沼化している（過去のエントリー参照）。18日から6月上旬にかけて組合が計画していた計20日間に渡るストが、前回に続き、またもや高等法院によって、スト実施に向けた手続きに問題があったとのBA側の主張を受け、ストの差し止め命令が出された。これを受け、組合側は即時抗告。今週木曜日に裁定が下される予定だ。スト回避にも関わらず、BAはヒースロー空港発着の10％の長距離便、約半数の短距離便がキャンセルされた。

Uniteは、「British」と「Brutish（残忍な）」をかけた、www.brutish-Airways.comというウェブサイトまで作って、BAを非難している。Uniteの言い分は、「組合側は善意でかなりの妥協をしているのに、会社側は依然として組合員へのいじめを続け、この労働争議にからみ、50人の組合員を停職処分、7人をクビにし、何千人もの客室乗務員とその家族が無料フライトの恩恵を失った。会社は組合に耳を貸さず、組合員は報復を恐れて、何も言えない」というもの。一方、BA側は、「一部の強硬派組合員が、時代は変わったという現実を受け入れないことが、合意を阻む障害となっている」と引かない。

火山灰に続き、客室乗務員のスト騒ぎ。ストが実施されると1億4千万ポンドもの損失が見込まれ、赤字続きのBAにはかなりの痛手になる。この労使対決、それぞれ言い分があるだろうけれど、内輪喧嘩に巻き込まれた乗客はたまったものではない。

＊本日、ユナイトの主張が認められ、もし労使間合意がなされなければ、一連の5日間のストが来週月曜日から始まりそうです。

The  photo below is a newspaper ad by a labor union Unite on the Guardian, accusing British Airways (BA) management. Now a battle between BA and Unite, the largest British labor union of which 90% of BA cabin attendants are members, has become uglier (see my past entry). The total of astonishing 20 days strike from May 18 to early June planed by Unite, had been due to start yesterday, but the court blocked the strike on 17th, claiming that Unite had not followed the correct procedure – again, like the last time. Unite immediately challenged the decision, and the appeal court will give a decision on Thursday. Despite the ruling, BA cancelled one in ten long-haul flights and almost half of its short-haul flights from the airport today.

Unite even made a website, http://www.brutish-Airways.com, to accuse BA of ‘bullying’ crew members. According to Unite, “BA carried on a campaign of bullying and victimisation against cabin crew, while Unite negotiated in ‘good faith’ to come to an agreement that both sides could live with.” ” BA is taking disciplinary action against more than 50 crew members who have been suspended on spurious charges arising from the dispute, and seven crew have been dismissed. Thousands of cabin crew and their families have had long-established travel arrangements removed.” “BA won’t listen to their cabin crew staff or to their Unite representatives in order to settle this dispute, and staff are unable to speak out for fear of being victimized or sacked if they do.” On the opposite, BA claims that “the obstacle to the resolution of this dispute is the refusal of this small group of Bassa (British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association) hardliners to accept that the world has changed.”

After Icelandic ash cloud, now the possible big strike – it is another big blow to loss-making BA. It is said that BA would lose £140 million from the strike. For sure there are both sides of the story, but who cares! Take care of your own garbages, without annoying their customers!

* UPDATE: Unite won the appeal and a ban on industrial action was overturned. A series of 5-days strikes is supposed to start next Monday, unless an agreement can be made…

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