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BA crew will strike to get a better deal - over sore toenails
Last updated at 16:52pm on 23.01.07
Strike threat: BA cabin crews want more flexibility when it comes to taking time off sick
Airport travel chaos (Click to enlarge)
British Airways cabin crew are to stage crippling strikes over the right to take time off for a cold sore or ingrowing toenails without it counting as sick leave.
Union bosses have drawn up a list of 12 health conditions – including blocked ears, colds, conjunctivitis and sexually transmitted herpes – which it says should excuse its members from flying.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers face being stranded from next week and over the half-term break by three separate three-day strikes that could cost the company £100 million.
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Cabin crew who are members of the Transport and General union voted overwhelmingly to strike and are furious at reported suggestions by BA bosses that they are malingerers'. BA says that before it introduced a sick leave policy in 2005, cabin crew took an average of 22 days sick leave a year, twice the national average.
That level has dropped to an average of 12 days a year since a deal struck in October 2005 for which cabin crew were paid £1,000 – but is still five days more than the national average of seven days off.
BA has contacted the conciliation service Acas in the hope of averting the strikes. BA chief executive Willie Walsh said the planned action is "unnecessary and unjustified" – highlighting also how much crew absenteeism appeared to coincided with "Bank Holidays, sunny August days, and major sporting events".
He added: "Unfortunately, because of the nature of the demands put forward by the T&G cabin crew union in recent days, we have not yet been able to find a solution or engage in the kind of positive dialogue we have achieved with other groups of employees."
In October 2005, BA agreed a new system with the unions which meant staff were closely monitored if they clocked up a set number of sick days.
They must explain themselves to managers if they have more than one period of sickness in three months, more than 10 days in a year or more than 21 days at a stretch.
Monitoring by bosses becomes more intense the longer and more frequently the employee is off work. Two BA staff have already been dismissed for excessively high absenteeism', says the airline.
BA currently excludes some conditions – such as diarrhoea and ear and nasal infections – which means they do not count towards the sick days.
The unions want more conditions put on the list of conditions including colds, blocked ears and ingrowing toenails.
This would give staff more leeway to be off sick without triggering extra supervision. BA estimates that giving in to the unions would increase average sickness within the crew community from 12 to 13.5 days and cost the airline £3.25million a year in replacement cover.
Both sides in the bitter dispute – over a cocktail of issues including sickness absence, pay and staffing levels – say they want to resolve it.
BASSA, the cabin crew arm of the giant transport union, has called its 11,000 members at the airline out on strike on January 29, 30 and 31 and warned of further stoppages on February 5, 6 and 7 and February 12, 13 and 14 unless there is a deal.
BA says it will allow customers booked to fly between January 29 and February 16 to change the date of their trip because of the prospect of disruption.
The cost of a strike, estimated at £100million if all three stoppages go ahead, would add to an expensive six months for BA.
The terror scare in August, which saw tougher security measures brought in after an alleged terrorist plot to blow up transatlantic airlines was thwarted, cost £100million.
And last month's poor weather conditions and severe fog which forced the airline to cancel more than 800 flights is estimated to have cost another £46million.
Reader views (29)
To decide whether the crew's claims are valid, the sick stats should be compared with those of other international airlines - not with our national average. I do think crew are probably more susceptible to certain types of illness. On the other hand maybe BA staff still haven't quite come to terms with the fact that they are no longer a nationalized industry which sees sick leave as a right not a privilege.
- Cathy, London
I'm not against unions, but I think TGU are taking this a bit too far. At my firm, if you take more than 5 days sickness per year then you get investigated but a common sense approach is adopted ie if you have a genuine illness, it is not probed. The fact of the matter is that Airlines do not employ unfit people and the people who sign up for the job are there because they want to be there - mainly because they get to do a lot of travelling and get paid for it. If they contract herpes along the way then I hope they had a good time whilst at it. However, to say that colds, manky toenails and the like should be taken out the equation as regards sick leave is nonsense. It seems that the majority (I say majority, not all) of the workers who make these kinds of complaints are those who like the perks such as early retirement and good pensions but don't like to travel away from their families when they reach mid 30s. The TGU could do with working alongside private practices to keep things real and dismiss such rubbish probes. This is simply a ploy to expose BA to the press to get their way by extortion - disgusting (and no I am in no way connected to BA or any other airline).
- Lisa, London
I completely agree with the strike acton. As a former member of BA crew the reality of crew working conditions seem to have been glossed over.
Working now in a 'normal' office based enviroment my sickness levels are now non existant. However when I was a full time longhaul crew contending with constant time zone changes, sleep deprivation, recylced air and the ever present threat of strange and exotic illness my health was, to put it mildly, crumbling.
I contracted salmonella, probably in Africa, developed kidney stones a common problem in the flying community as well as countless raging colds and more minor food poisoning incidents.
I am not alone in these expereinces and count myself lucky that I didn't experience the hideous health problems that some of my colleagues fell victim to... blackwater fever, cerebral malaria, parasitic hookworms...
I don't advocate an absence free for all but some balance and respect from management. After all the chances of contracting something that requires a referral to the hospital for tropical diseases whilst working behind an office pc in Hounslow is pretty minimal really.
- Laura, UK
BA claims that you can change your flights if they fall within the specified strike dates. I tried to do so (as my flights to and from the US fall within the specified dates) but was unable to. I was told the dates I gave were all full. If I however went to the BA site (and I have just checked this out online) and booked new flights on the dates I requested for the change, I would be able to do so. But why buy another ticket with BA? This is a farce.
- Y Headley, Leicester UK
If they're fit enough to call in sick then they're fit enough to work - what happened to the good old British stiff upper lip - or is that now on the list of 12!
- Alfie, London, UK
Whilst I am not agreeing with the strike action you have to put yourself in the crew's shoes. Would you want to do two European flights starting at say 5am without a break with a stinking cold, bunged up ears and sore throat whilst trying to dish out meals and stay pleasant to the customers? Would you want a member of the crew with you on a flight who wasn't well? It's all very well saying get on with it, but they are not sitting in an office all day, they are 35,000 up in the sky on their feet all the time with re-circulated air, cabin pressure and turbulance to deal with. Ever had a bad cold or ear ache whilst flying? Ever caught someone's elses bug whilst flying? It's real fun on the descent if you've a cold or ear ache, when you're in so much pain you think your head is going to burst. Other people's jobs always look easy when you're not actually doing them yourselves! We are not talking of a normal job here are we. Nevertheless, taking strike action now will destroy BA and they probably deserve it after the fiasco about the cross.
- Sue, Orpington , Kent
If the staff keep on treating customers like this then there will be no need to strike as BA are on a slippery slope already. Whilst recently company finances have improved, these continual set of PR disasters means that many will start to look for other carriers when they fly. Next time we book a holiday BA will not be my first choice. I cant recall Virgin or AA ever letting me down in this way but I now have the uncertaintly of flights booked for February. Good bye BA. Never again. A fed up customer.
- H Jones, Weybridge UK
Wimps? Probably. But they will all be out of a job at this rate as passengers go elsewhere - and the rest of us will have a jolly good laugh back at them.
- Givenuphope, London, England
How can Sally Riley, cabin crew poster above, defending the strike decision of course, afford to live in Ascot on her starvation wages? Maybe the overtime, perks, freebies etc are enough for her to live in one of the most expensive areas in the country. Sorry, hard to feel sorry for her really.
- Colin, London
What a bunch of wimps (that is the employees, not management).
- Annabelle, London
I'd like to know when having a cold, diarrhoea, vomiting, etc. was not considered "being sick". If none of the 12 (ok, 11, family emergencies excluded) items listed in the London Lite are not considered to be sick, there is only one word for the 22 days taken off by an average flight attendant - HOLIDAY. I can understand it might be miserable to get on a plane to work when you don't feel well, but the rest of us have to go to work even when we don't feel well. Come on people, be grateful that your sick days don't come out of your holiday like they do in some other countries.
- Hayley, Clapham
There are plenty of qualified cabin staff who would be delighted to work for BA on their current terms. If the BA cabin staff don't like the terms move on and let others enjoy a rewarding good life.
- T J Franklin, UK
Personally I wouldn't wish to have my dinner served by someone with herpes and conjunctivitis - how about you?
- Nicola, London UK
It's not the Cabin Crew who are letting customers down, its BA Management. We don't want to strike but have been left no choice. Our job is NOT the same as those of you who work in an office 9-5 and get regular sleep every night...
We suffer constant sleep deprivation, eating disorders, dehydration, radiation exposure, fertility problems, relationship problems, Constant terrorist risks, etc.
If your employer imposed unreasonable work practices, you would stand up for yourselves, that's all we are doing. We are not asking for pay rises or more time off, just to be treated like adults.
- Sally Riley, Ascot
I think the staff and union need to make up their mind. If they have a medical condition that makes them unfit to work, then that is termed sick. They cannot be too sick to work and take leave without it counting towards the sick allowance. They should not get sick pay if this this case.
If they consider themselves 'not sick' but cannot fly then perhaps they should consider another role and work on the check-in desk or baggage handling instead until they get better.
It is not supprising they want to keep this luxury of extra 22 days holiday (thats what it is), since they have been taking it for granted as a right to have.
This could not happen in other industries, you would be disciplined.
- Craig A, York, England
How can these airlines get away with 1 weeks notice? I booked my holiday months ago, and am due to leave this Friday, yet nobody can tell me how they plan to get us home when we return on 30th Jan.
This whole matter has been dealt with badly by all involved and I would love to know who made the law of a one week strike notice! It doesn't give anyone a chance to make other plans.
These people have been taking an AVERAGE of 22 days sick leave a year! If I were to do that my boss would be posting me a P45.
The union are at fault for this too. It seems clear that they are determined to strike no matter what, and give no consideration for BA customers.
If these people don't want to get out of bed and go to work, get someone in that does.
- Paul, Sutton, Surrey
The union seems to be scrambling to have an unjustifiable fight with the management. If this the case they should be made to compensate the shareholders for all losses sustained. Sick leave should be justified by the employee and not be there by right.
- Alexis Dogilewski, London, England
I think it's disgusting what the staff are doing! They are letting so many passengers down, some people that can only afford to go away once in a blue moon and soon that don't have the luxury as having as many perks as BA staff do!
They are so many people out there without jobs maybe BA staff would be better in a job that allows them to have endless days off . I think they should get a grip and work like the rest of us!
- Vicky Heath, London
Like J Kaur, below, I'm kind of finding myself sympathising with the management for the first time ever... having known one or two cabin crew who routinely chucked a sickie because they'd overdone the clubbing the night before. Even so, I'm glad my trip in February isn't with the unreliable behemoth that BA has become... I've been bitten THREE times by previous strikes, and blush to think how long it took me to learn from the experience. It would be interesting to see in any news report a comparison between pay and conditions at other airlines, as I suspect staff will only attempt what they can "get away with". That said, I can't shake off the persistent image of a management out of touch with what's going on at the front line (either with their cabin-crew, the frazzled check-in staff, or at suppliers such as Gate Gourmet).
- Jonny, London
To Gary, do not take it out on the airline, your anger should be directed at the union, they are the villians here not BA. Unions wish to take us back to the 70's with their demands which we must not give into. If employees do not like the terms and conditions, they should move somewhere they do, not rely on out of touch unions to strike at the drop of a hat. BA are in a no win situation here because of this union, hopefully it will be sorted and maybe they will refund your money, but your gripe should be the union not the airline.
- Darren, London
All I can say is when you're employees take that much sick leave a year you must look at the working environment. They're clearly not happy.
- Jay, London
The fact of the matter is that BA staff are forced to take sick leave for reasons stipulated by their bosses (e.g. if they have a cut they're not allowed to fly for fear they'll infect food). Therefore it shows up as a day on sick leave even if they wanted to fly.
- Will, London, UK
I totally believe that it is the Unions fault that such stupid reasons for going to industrial action can take place. They should look at what is going on! They know that BA will lose financially if this strike goes ahead, but do the cabin crew realise they it is not in their best intrests? For a short term resolution, BA should agree to their demands and then sack anyone with an unacceptable level of sickness soon afterwards - only then will the trade unions realise that they cant hold a company to randsom.
P.S I'd like to know what the Transport Secretary has to say on the subject.
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt
I have a flight booked with this rotten airline for my honeymoon in early February. I have now paid a huge extra chunk for flights with another airline to safeguard all the rest of our celebration. The BA bit is therefore going to go to waste - all £463 of it. They say that they won't refund my money and that I can rearrange my dates "at no extra cost". Why on earth should I be expected to move my arrangements just to suit them? How incredibly arrogant and pig-headed is that? I would rather see the whole booking go down the drain than ever fly with this shambolic, amateurish, National disgrace again. We will have our celebration whatever - and in the meantime I hope the airline goes under; that's all it deserves for treating its customers with this level of contempt.
- Gary, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Blimey, did my bed somehow turn into a time-machine last night? I'm sure I've just emerged into the middle of the 1970s
- Stephen, Guildford
These Unions who are striking are not living in the real world. I for once am on the BA Director's side. These people who are complaining will not have jobs for very long.
I will definately think twice before booking a BA flight as they always seem to be on strike!
- J Kaur, Kent
I think it is ridiculous that the staff are striking because of sick day issues. they should be happy with their lot in my opinion, a lot of people aren't forunate enough to have a good job.
- Rita, Slough, UK
Yet another reason to avoid BA at all costs. The competition are laughing all the way to the bank.
- Carl, London
This is a farce. Can the Unions not see that BA is competing on a global market with competitors without these unreasonable limitations? Emirates hires cabin crews in the UK and I am sure they are not on contracts anywhere close to the BA ones in terms of sick leaves. The Unions unfortunately will need to get used to conditions eroding but that will at least save the jobs for their members in the medium term.
- Bjorn, London
