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Has Len McCluskey admitted that Unite’s actions increased the British Airways redundancies?

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If you work for British Airways as cabin crew or in parts of engineering, you would have found out on Friday whether your job was safe or if you had been made redundant.  Other parts of the business will find out their fates this week.

As has been well publicised, the approach of the Unite union throughout this process has been one of disengagement.  Unite spent the majority of the legally required consultation period refusing to meet with the airline, and also recommended that its members refuse to engage with the process.

The latter part now seems to have come home to roost.  It appears, although clearly British Airways will not confirm this, that redundancies have been made purely on the basis of a defined ranking process.  This makes the process legally ‘sound’ and means that BA can clearly show that no favouritism or bias took blace.  Ranking was based on various factors including historic appraisals, but also some information requested from staff.  Those who refused to complete the documents required, as the union suggested, did not do themselves any favours.

unite british airways redundancies

On Friday, Unite issued a statement on the crew redundancies which you can find here.

It contains a statement which appears relatively uncontentious but is actually quite shocking:

“Unite’s general secretary Len McCluskey has called upon BA to offer the deal that it struck with pilots to the rest of the workforce as a way to bring a fair resolution to the current crisis.”

Unlike Unite, the pilot’s union BALPA DID choose to engage and negotiate with British Airways.

The result of these negotations was that the number of job losses amongst pilots was SUBSTANTIALLY reduced.  The initial plan for 1,255 compulsory redundancies was reduced to around 200.

This is how it worked:

All pilots who remain will take a pay cut of 8%, effective from September 2020

All pilots who remain will take an ADDITIONAL pay cut of 8% (so a total of 16%) which will be paid into a Community Retention Scheme.  This pot will be used to pay the salaries of 300 pilots who will be grounded.  This pay cut will last from September 2020 to September 2022, with the amount reducing as flight numbers increase and more pilots are pulled back into the active fleet.

The 4% pay rise agreed for April 2021 will be deferred until January 2024

All pilots will take two weeks unpaid leave between August 2020 and April 2021

Our full article on the British Airways pilots pay deal is here.

Unite is now effectively admitting that its strategy of refusing to negotiate with British Airways has failed.  Asking the airline to give cabin crew the same deal that was negotiated by BALPA is an admission that a deal could have been cut but wasn’t.  Many people are now paying for that decision with their careers.

PS.  There is another point, of course.  Would cabin crew share Len McCluskey’s enthusiasm for the BALPA deal?  It seems unlikely that cabin crew, especially Mixed Fleet with base salaries of around £15,000, would voluntarily take an 8% pay cut and contribute a further 8% to a pot to pay non-working colleagues.  The pilot’s deal is also believed to have an element of ‘last in, first out’ which means that cabin crew redundancies would fall disproportionately on Mixed Fleet.

Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (120)

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  • Mark says:
    11 Aug11 August 06:58

    RIP unite.

  • Kevin says:
    11 Aug11 August 06:58

    An interesting summary and shows how badly this has been handled by Unite. That they would want the same deal as the pilots also shows how much they don’t care about mixed fleet who would be disproportionately impacted by such a deal.

  • Mike says:
    11 Aug11 August 07:26

    wow a 16 % pay cut is quite a hard amount to swallow although 84 % of your current pay is better than 0% of it if you lose your job and just have to live on your investments which will have taken a battering as well.

    • Tim says:
      11 Aug11 August 07:44

      During the biggest aviation crisis ever known, a temporary 16% pay cut with almost no changes to terms and conditions is a ridiculously good deal. The downside of that is 249 junior pilots have been sacrificed for the sake of that deal. BA didn’t want a ‘community part time’ as they said it wasn’t cost effective. But BALPA, it seems, was happy to wave goodbye to the lowest paying union members to save every bit of their terms and conditions.

      FYI- the 8% pay cut of the remaining workforce will pay for 33% or 66% of a ‘non-operational pool’ pilot, dependent on how they bid for their next fleet. Every non-op pool pilot was given a choice to bid specifically for one fleet (and receive 33% pay) or open bid for any fleet (and receive 66% pay).

    • Andrew says:
      11 Aug11 August 08:43

      Is it definitely 16%?

      If you start on £100,000 and take an 8% cut, you are now on £92,000
      If you are then paid £92,000 and take an 8% cut you are now on £84,640

      So 15.36% cut. Not much better, but always good to keep an eye on percentages.

      For the mixed fleet crew on £15,000. That’s already under “Living wage” at £15,870 per annum (35x52x£8.72) and considerably under the London “living wage” that Unite subscribe to at £19,201. Is “Red Len” really advocating an hourly rate 13% under national living wage, and almost 30% under London “living wage”?

      • Sandra says:
        11 Aug11 August 11:11

        Also nett (based on a drop from 100k to around 84k) the actual loss taking tax and NI into account but not including tax relief on pension contribution would be about 10k – still just over 800/month but, I suppose, better than no job at all or in a pool offering 33/66% of salary.

  • Richard says:
    11 Aug11 August 07:39

    UNITE do not have any of the levers or power of BALPA so to praise one and criticise the other comes across as trite.
    Rather than an admission of making a mistake, I think UNITE’s approach to ask for what the pilot’s are getting is smart as they would never had the negotiating power to get that deal but now having not engaged, can use the pilot’s deal as a start.

    • SWWT says:
      11 Aug11 August 07:48

      As a start for what? Unite’s ship has well and truly left the dock.

    • Ian says:
      11 Aug11 August 08:03

      Richard, I’d agree with you, except McCluskey’s posturing makes their call for the BALPA deal ring hollow now. If UNITE had gone in with BALPA and negotiated jointly from the start, they might have had a better chance. Unfortunately UNITE’s leadership isn’t smart enough to pick up on the point you make about relative negotiating power.

    • Mikeact says:
      11 Aug11 August 08:08

      What are you talking about…..it’s done…its over. Suggesting to reopen negotiations is totally ridiculous.

    • AJA says:
      11 Aug11 August 10:01

      It’s too late now to be asking for the same deal as BALPA negotiated. People have already started leaving BA. Unite thought they had more power than they actually do. They’ve not come up with a single reasonable idea. They refused to engage with BA and thought that a campaign of getting MPs to criticise BA and threaten to take away landing slots would work. They also keep mentioning the profits BA made last year which ignores the reality of the last 6 months. How many flights have you taken since February? Why do you think BA extended status for the majority (June / July year end excluded)? The consultation period is there for a reason and to simply do nothing in that time period is the most immature reaction. Len should be forced to resign. I also think many who pay their union subs are also questioning what is the point?

      • Andrew says:
        11 Aug11 August 10:35

        Unite have lost their way.

        Half their “Activists” are screaming “Climiate Emergency” and getting what they want with the slashing of flights and air industry related jobs.

  • Joe says:
    11 Aug11 August 07:44

    Rob I’m quite surprised you haven’t covered HAL’s plans too given they are broadly similar to BA’s…..staff have started receiving letters over the last few days…..

  • Chris Heyes says:
    11 Aug11 August 08:03

    Very interesting article But sounds a bit like fantastical creative writing
    Lets look at it
    The Author is saying that BA “Would” agree to a last in first out policy
    But would they ? (that would weaken BA going forward)
    Why would they
    The deal with the pilots is very favorable to BA a “pool” they can draw on as BA gets back up to normal
    Other staff are expendable to Ba Why would they stick at only 200 redundancy’s ?
    Red Len calls for the same offer that the pilots got ?
    The Author seems to insinuate that if Unite had engaged the exact same deal would have been reached for all
    That is dreaming or creative writing lol
    It actually shows that Unite took the correct stance because there was a danger of splitting their membership which they skillfully managed to avoid
    In summary “yes” it weakens the Union but only for now ?
    Red Len CALLS for immediate strike action (he as to) but it won’t happen until 2021
    my guess is Easter 2021 (Same time as French) and or Summer 2021
    Then all those that say it wont happen ?
    will suddenly start saying how selfish they are to strike lol

    • Mikeact says:
      11 Aug11 August 08:12

      You mean mixed crew should start paying union subs in readiness for next Easter, or whenever.

      • Chris Heyes says:
        11 Aug11 August 08:27

        Mikeact@ No i mean you shouldn’t be booking flights for around Easter lol
        or if you do don’t moan about it next Easter lol

        • AJA says:
          11 Aug11 August 10:03

          Even very p*ssed off cabin crew over on FT have admitted no strikes will happen. They can see that BA is not flying anywhere near enough to make a strike work. Many who might have done so have left now anyway.

          • Chris Heyes says:
            11 Aug11 August 15:55

            AJA@ WOW No strikes ever again ! ! ! Well time will tell myself i don’t believe it lol

          • AJA says:
            11 Aug11 August 16:00

            @ Chris Heyes. I did not say that. But do you really think they will have a strike next Easter to support staff who got made redundant this week?

        • Mikeact says:
          11 Aug11 August 12:36

          So, how will a potential strike work….. all employees encouraged to sign up with Unite ? Or do they somehow go it alone ?

          • Chris Heyes says:
            11 Aug11 August 15:57

            Mikeact@ How will a strike work ? Well there will be notice then a ballot that’s how it works lol

          • Mikeact says:
            11 Aug11 August 17:01

            I appreciate that, but are you assuming they will all be Unite members for a ballot to be called ? Is it…will it, be mandatory that crew members have to belong to a union ? Just interested to know.

  • Rob says:
    11 Aug11 August 08:29

    Shocking behaviour by BA and this anti- union article is BS.

    Pay cuts and slashing hard earned terms and conditions should be fought.

    BA didn’t want engagement because they wanted workers to pay the price. They have been happily taking the profits, rewarding bosses and taking state aid while expanding the empire in recent years.

    The problem wasn’t the workers getting shafted nor the union for refusing to agree to such diabolical proposals – it’s the inhumane bosses of greed!

    • 351 says:
      11 Aug11 August 08:47

      The denial and lack of acceptance of the bare facts amongst some is shocking! Lol.

      Unite messed this up big time. Simple as that. Yes BA have been “mean” and “aggressive”, but it doesn’t in anyway excuse Unite’s non-engagement. I suppose you agree with Unite’s stripping slots from BA campaign too? I’m sure that would save even more BA jobs!

    • Rob says:
      11 Aug11 August 08:49

      So why is Len now begging for the pilots deal and basically throwing Mixed Fleet under the bus? If he’d stuck to his ‘no deal’ stance he would at least have kept his credibility.

      It is Mixed Fleet who should be getting support, not those paid double for the same role.

      • Yuff says:
        11 Aug11 August 09:15

        As someone commented earlier, negotiators should take account of the leverage they have at the time, Len was too arrogant to accept that and his members have paid the price.
        Personally striking is never the way forward, imo, and that’s after the government stitched my wife up over her pension due to achieving her position at a young age.
        The courts have rectified that but it has caused a lot of unrest amongst employees in both age categories.

      • Susan says:
        11 Aug11 August 09:32

        Agreed!!
        The pilots deal is not feasible for Mixed Fleet crew.

        Unite need to fight to bring up Mixed Fleet’s wage to Legacy, if they want to do that. All fleets do the same job, it’s borderline discrimination that Mixed Fleet and Gatwick are paid significantly less.

      • Doug M says:
        11 Aug11 August 09:53

        On various other sites I’ve read many comments suggesting that Unite unfairly favour legacy crew, and that legacy crew hold the power within BA’s Unite representation.
        The problem with % pay sacrifice is that it’s simply unfair, 16% of many salary’s Is discretionary spend, 16% of Mixed Fleet is going hungry to pay rent.

      • Chris Heyes says:
        11 Aug11 August 16:30

        Rob@ tactics, tactics What would you have Red Len say ?

      • Lady London says:
        11 Aug11 August 19:08

        There is no way BA would have agreed with “Last In First Out’ no matter how well the union might have negotiated. That would have meant giving up Mixed Fleet as they were Last in. For BA, Mixed Fleet is the future they’ve fought unions for years to obtain. BA would have made all cabin crew redundant and stopped passenger flights completely for three months sooner than agree to LIFO for cabin crew.

        Frankly flyers, and especially a lot of business travellers, want young willing totty handing them their drinks. Truthfully, fot most of them it’s only a bonus that cabin crew can get them off the plane in an emergency.

        Regardless of laws it must obey and lip service it must pay, BA is well aware of this. They can just as well meet safety standards with younger cheaper crew. Turnover is not really a disadvantage in tge cabin crew category.

        I won’t mention the name of the poster who said they didnt like the ‘matronly’ cabin crew service in BA First recently but they are a longstanding poster whose comments always add value and the view, although silent, seems widespread

    • Jay says:
      11 Aug11 August 09:35

      Totally agree this is all about greed government are not interested slag of the union then the company’s win

    • Nick_C says:
      11 Aug11 August 10:45

      “BA didn’t want engagement because they wanted workers to pay the price. They have been happily taking the profits, rewarding bosses and taking state aid while expanding the empire in recent years.”

      In what way has BA been taking state aid while expanding?

    • MYSELF says:
      11 Aug11 August 20:46

      Are you by any chance a shop steward? Your comment could be verbatim from Len himself.

      You are damn right the loss of those T&C’s SHOULD have been fought over. They should’ve been fought over tooth and nail however McLusky and his cronies did NO fighting. They refused to even sit at the table and imposed frankly ludicrous pre conditions totally detached from reality in any way.
      Moving past the staff conditions, their jobs should’ve been fought over as well but again, see above.

      The horse has bolted, taking with it thousands of jobs the union totally failed to protect in any way whilst still cashing those cheques and taking that nice 6 figure salary as they sit on their a**es. Forget some whimsical notion of a strike in Easter ( again showing Unites delusions and lack of connection to it’s members) if I was BA staff I’d be looking at a legal challenge against Unite to recover, at least, the last 12 months subscription of not asking for an investigation into a deriliction of duty to members

  • Aaron C says:
    11 Aug11 August 08:50

    Lots of politics and unknowns here. Did BA ever intend to lay off 1,200 pilots or was it a frightening tactic to get them to accept the 16% pay cut?

    What kind of a deal could ever have been cut for the other grades when it was clear they wanted to merge the fleets and gut the legacy T&Cs?

    But in general as John Major said it’s better to have them be inside the tent pi**ing out than outside pi**ing in… Refusal to engage is never a good option. By being involved they could have made it less bad (managed decline).

    • John says:
      11 Aug11 August 09:12

      John Major was never, and never capable of being, that eloquent! Although compared to Len…

      (the quote is actually from US President Lyndon Johnson, talking about weirdo FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover)

      • mutley says:
        11 Aug11 August 09:18

        Not quick enough on my part! Major may have said nice peas Norma though!

      • Chris Heyes says:
        11 Aug11 August 16:04

        John@ Hmmm I thought John Major’s quote was get on the desk Edwina lol lol

        • Lady London says:
          11 Aug11 August 19:20

          When that came out I cheered up as I’d thought he was the grey Spitting Image puppet.

          Bit hard on his wife to bring it up after so many years. Nul points@Chris H

    • mutley says:
      11 Aug11 August 09:16

      John Major wasn’t smart enough to make that quote. it was Lyndon Johnson.

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