Chat With A Ba Worker

[Guest absolutezero]

That's pi55 weak.

If you must know, I've done 2 hours today and have 3 more to do. Plus all morning tomorrow.

I work for myself and make my own money, so yes, I am a believer in capitalism.

Unlike the Public Sector, where your hardest decision is how many days will you phone in sick for next week, with not an eyelid batted.

What a misguided opinion you have.

[Guest theboltonfury]

What a misguided opinion you have.

Doubt it. My sister in law works for the equalities commission. She's hardly ever in because she knows she can get away with it.

[Guest absolutezero]

Doubt it. My sister in law works for the equalities commission. She's hardly ever in because she knows she can get away with it.

So based on your sample size of one, the whole of the public sector must be the same.

Very good bit of logic there.

For what it's worth (not much because you're as closed minded as most of the other foaming-at-the-mouth Tories on here) there are many public sector organisations that have working staff absence procedures.

[Guest absolutezero]

Done by a 'working staff absence procedure co-ordination facilitator'

No. Done by the HR people. Just like it is in private sector companies of a comparable size.

[Guest theboltonfury]

No. Done by the HR people. Just like it is in private sector companies of a comparable size.

When I worked in the Private Sector, if I was off sick, I got the first 3 days, then SSP.

You lot stub your toes and it's see you in October, on full pay.

[Guest theboltonfury]

No. Done by the HR people. Just like it is in private sector companies of a comparable size.

And these are the HR people who can't get a job in the Private Sector. I'd be surprised if any of them could put one foot in front of the other, nevermind administer a policy.

[Guest absolutezero]

When I worked in the Private Sector, if I was off sick, I got the first 3 days, then SSP.

You lot stub your toes and it's see you in October, on full pay.

That's because that's what our contracts say. The ones we negotiated.

The problem being?

[sun n sea]

No. Done by the HR people. Just like it is in private sector companies of a comparable size.

But how do you KNOW for certain?

In fact how do you KNOW anything about the private sector or the life outside educashun?

From what I can gather you are a Physics teacher so it is more than likely your entire life has been spent going to from a school of one description to another in the capacity of student or teacher. I hardly think this qualifies you as the greatest sage of Private Sector commerce, do you?

If private sector workers know f*ck all about how the state sector works due to lack of experience then logically it flows that you know f*ck all about the private sector because you've never been anywhere near it,

[Guest absolutezero]

And these are the HR people who can't get a job in the Private Sector. I'd be surprised if any of them could put one foot in front of the other, nevermind administer a policy.

The ones I have dealt with came from the private sector.

And it shows. All they're doing is pissing people off.

They don't realise that teachers go above and beyond their contracts and hours and exercise what is known as "good will".

What's now happening is people are withdrawing their good will and only doing the work in the contracts. So a lot of the extras that are good for the kids are now slowly stopping.

[Guest absolutezero]

But how do you KNOW for certain?

In fact how do you KNOW anything about the private sector or the life outside educashun?

Been reading a philosophy textbook?

From what I can gather you are a Physics teacher so it is more than likely your entire life has been spent going to from a school of one description to another in the capacity of student or teacher. I hardly think this qualifies you as the greatest sage of Private Sector commerce, do you?

If private sector workers know f*ck all about how the state sector works due to lack of experience then logically it flows that you know f*ck all about the private sector because you've never been anywhere near it,

Correct. When you lot stop going on about something you know nothing about I will follow suit.

[Daft Boy]

Doubt it. My sister in law works for the equalities commission. She's hardly ever in because she knows she can get away with it.

Does your sister post under theboltonfanny ?

[Guest theboltonfury]

Does your sister post under theboltonfanny ?

no

[Guest theboltonfury]

That's because that's what our contracts say. The ones we negotiated.

The problem being?

You didn't negotiate anything. You got the job and received your terms a few weeks later. Probably the only applicant if indeed you are a Physics teacher.

You know they are a joke and will try ot defend them, but don't make out that it was all down to some canny negotiation.

I can't disagree with you at all about HR across the board. They are perhaps the only sector of the workplace that couldn't fill in for the striking cabin crew.

[Guest absolutezero]

You didn't negotiate anything. You got the job and received your terms a few weeks later. Probably the only applicant if indeed you are a Physics teacher.

You know they are a joke and will try ot defend them, but don't make out that it was all down to some canny negotiation.

That's because teachers are highly unionised. The negotiation was done by professional negotiators.

The fact all the private sectorists abandoned their unions after being promised riches by the bosses (that then failed to materialise) is neither here nor there.

Like I said. It's a race to the bottom and now everything has gone sour for the private sector they want the same for the public sector.

Sad, sad people.

Of course they'll hide behind excuses like "it's what's happened in the private sector" (see above) and "we can't afford it" (nonsense).

Edited March 20, 2010 by absolutezero

[Guest theboltonfury]

That's because teachers are highly unionised. The negotiation was done by professional negotiators.

The fact all the private sectorists abandoned their unions after being promised riches by the bosses (that then failed to materialise) is neither here nor there.

Like I said. It's a race to the bottom and now everything has gone sour for the private sector they want the same for the public sector.

Sad, sad people.

Of course they'll hide behind excuses like "it's what's happened in the private sector" (see above) and "we can't afford it" (nonsense).

Have you seen some of the private sector bonuses still kicking about. I don't see that either it's gone sour or that ridding themselves of the politically motivated unions is a bad thing.

[winkie]

I have not a problem with anyone fighting to protect what they have got, built up and worked for, while the money was flowing nobody feels any resentment and I would imagine would say good luck to you and may it continue......but the problem arises when things do not continue to be so lucrative and forthcoming, more are feeling the recession pain, there is less to be shared around the workers and people are not spending to easily and liberally....wake up and smell the coffee, or be kicked of of bed with a shock to face the music.

[benthebuilder]

Of course I would. If I knew that I was already paid around twice the industry average and my company was on the brink of collapse. I have a family and could see the writing on the wall.

Lazy, opportunistic, workshy, blackmailing sods.

Fire them all and get some better ones in. There's enough out there trained and who would love the job.

Yeah...If I were Willy Walsh I'd rename it British Empire Airways and have loads of Indian cabin crew/charwallahs/punkawallahs.

The aspirant upper class would love that and come flocking.

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

Doubt it. My sister in law works for the equalities commission. She's hardly ever in because she knows she can get away with it.

Eh ?

I thought your sister in law was a lorry driver.

Or was that Frank Hovis ?

[Einstein71]

Getting back on track.....

Just to make it clear I think Cabin Crew should earn not a penny more than £30k. The crew up at Heathrow on old contracts have had it too good for too long and now the partys over, end of. What we are witnessing this weekend is the final death rattle desperately amplified by UNITE.

My point with plumbers and policemen (that some people failed to get) is that I could easily slag off any profession. For some reason it is seen as socially acceptable to do so with Cabin Crew. I don't get it. I mean I understand people saying that a fair proportion of BA crew up at Heathrow are overpaid but to tar all BA crew with the same brush is not fair. Cabin Crew do a job, many of them work hard. Like all industries some are work shy or rude and therefore not good at their job but this is a minority. To belittle what they do, to suggest they are nothing but waitresses/waiters in the sky is quite frankly insulting and suggests a certain "small co*k complex".

Just had a few texts through today as all my friends at BA Gatwick have gone into work as usual. Almost all were on Airport Standby and not one of them was used today (almost all were being sent home early). The operations desk claims that all but 30 people clocked in. A similar higher than expected turnout at Heathrow. Watch this space but I can see them running a normal schedule at Gatwick and a higher number of planes out of Heathrow, definitely for the next strike if not in this one.

[Einstein71]

Also just to add some facts to this debate.

The Press are intent on comparing the wages of BA Cabin Crew with those of Ryanair, Easyjet, Flybe and Virgin. All earn considerably less.

These airlines currently pay their Cabin Crew more than BA: Lufthansa, Iberia, KLM-Air France, Emirates

Now I personally think that crew at Heathrow BA are overpaid but it is disingenuous to make out that they are at the top of the global Airline Crew Pile, in fact they are mid table. It just happens that a lot of those at the bottom are in the UK.

[benthebuilder]

Getting back on track.....

Just to make it clear I think Cabin Crew should earn not a penny more than £30k. The crew up at Heathrow on old contracts have had it too good for too long and now the partys over, end of. What we are witnessing this weekend is the final death rattle desperately amplified by UNITE.

My point with plumbers and policemen (that some people failed to get) is that I could easily slag off any profession. For some reason it is seen as socially acceptable to do so with Cabin Crew. I don't get it. I mean I understand people saying that a fair proportion of BA crew up at Heathrow are overpaid but to tar all BA crew with the same brush is not fair. Cabin Crew do a job, many of them work hard. Like all industries some are work shy or rude and therefore not good at their job but this is a minority. To belittle what they do, to suggest they are nothing but waitresses/waiters in the sky is quite frankly insulting and suggests a certain "small co*k complex".

Just had a few texts through today as all my friends at BA Gatwick have gone into work as usual. Almost all were on Airport Standby and not one of them was used today (almost all were being sent home early). The operations desk claims that all but 30 people clocked in. A similar higher than expected turnout at Heathrow. Watch this space but I can see them running a normal schedule at Gatwick and a higher number of planes out of Heathrow, definitely for the next strike if not in this one.

Why is it?

What other chores are they doing up there?

Maintenance?

Flying the plane?

Anyway..time for a pi55...with my tiny c0ck.

[Guest theboltonfury]

Eh ?

I thought your sister in law was a lorry driver.

Or was that Frank Hovis ?

Not me. Frank drives the lorry.

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

Why is it?

What other chores are they doing up there?

Maintenance?

Flying the plane?

Anyway..time for a pi55...with my tiny c0ck.

I've flown on quite a few flights with various different airlines. I have to say BA cabin crew are the most rude and arrogant.

But painting the job as a glorified waiter/waitress is not doing it justice. It's far more unpleasant than that.

I've seen cabin crew :

Mop up baby sick.

Administer CPR.

Move a dead body and cover it with blankets.

Calm down rows between drunken passengers.

The list goes on....

In addition flying all the time plays havoc with your immune system (catching colds all the time as you are in an enclosed space), jet lag weakens your immunity and you're bombarded by higher levels of cosmic radition.

In addition after an x hour flight/shift you're still supposed to look good and deal with people calmly and with restraint.

Not a job I would do for 30K pa.

You can reduce any job to something simple if you try hard enough. After all building is just about slapping a few bricks together with motar, isn't it ?

[Guest theboltonfury]

I've flown on quite a few flights with various different airlines. I have to say BA cabin crew are the most rude and arrogant.

But painting the job as a glorified waiter/waitress is not doing it justice. It's far more unpleasant than that.

I've seen cabin crew :

Mop up baby sick.

Administer CPR.

Move a dead body and cover it with blankets.

Calm down rows between drunken passengers.

The list goes on....

In addition flying all the time plays havoc with your immune system (catching colds all the time as you are in an enclosed space), jet lag weakens your immunity and you're bombarded by higher levels of cosmic radition.

In addition after an x hour flight/shift you're still supposed to look good and deal with people calmly and with restraint.

Not a job I would do for 30K pa.

You can reduce any job to something simple if you try hard enough. After all building is just about slapping a few bricks together with motar, isn't it ?

You are the flying equivalent of Jessica Fletcher.

Edited March 20, 2010 by theboltonfury

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

You are the flying equivalent of Jessica Fletcher.

I used to spend an awful lot of time of planes. The kind of time when you begin to realise hard core travelling isn't glamourous or fun, but bl**dy miserable.

Collect 300 people in a small enclosed space. Cramp them up. Feed them crap and booze and bore them rigid (sometimes literally). Do it for 12 hours and repeat often enough and you'll see the full spectrum of human behaviour, from the very good to the appallingly bad.

Then you realise that 30K a year for dealing with that sort of nonsense maybe isn't so much after all.