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Low wages, tax credits and the distress of a poorer service - cabin crew tell ‘The Truth’ behind the BA dispute

26th January 2010

Low wages, reliance on tax credit top-ups and the distress of being forced to deliver a poorer service to passengers are the real reasons behind the BA dispute, says the airline's cabin crew. 

The issues are highlighted in a video released today (Tuesday) by crew and their union, Unite, who have jointly produced the film in order to set the record straight about the causes of the current dispute. 

According to Unite, the 13,500 crew have been grossly misrepresented by their employer.  One of the major distortions, challenged in the video, is that the crew are highly paid. In truth, around 75 per cent of all crew do not earn more than £20,000 per year.  In fact, as the video shows, so poorly paid are many of the crew based at Gatwick that many of them rely on second jobs or Working Family Tax Credits to top up their earnings to a level where they can support their families. 

One crew member speaking on the video has been working as cabin crew for over five years at Gatwick.  He said: “I take home around £1,100 a month and I’m still entitled to Working Tax Credits because we’re classified as low paid workers, and that’s common among most of the main crew at Gatwick.  Many of us have two jobs in order to pay our bills – often in bars and restaurants – to make ends meet."

Yet, despite the low earnings of the majority, crew still offered to make pay and conditions’ sacrifices in order to deliver around £100 million year on year in savings for the company, on the condition that BA committed to maintaining a high standard of passenger service. This offer was rejected by the company.

Crew also reveal that the consequent cut in crew numbers - down by between one and three people on all flights, and reduced by 25 per cent on European flights - is having a negative impact on passengers. A customer service director with BA for 17 years said: “Now BA has reduced the number of cabin crew on each flight it’s having a terrible impact on service.  My job is now to serve meals in Club World, but I’m also the only one on board who is trained to work the in-flight entertainment system, and solve any problems that are escalated.  I can’t do both at the same time and passengers are being left in the lurch.”

The distress caused by the airline's refusal to negotiate changes but to instead impose them is also taking its toll.  One crew service director, with British Airways for 25 years, says that as a manager, she: “... thought BA was a company that we could sit down and talk with and thrash things out, but to actually have something imposed on you and be told if you don’t like it then you can leave is not very nice."

Len McCluskey, Unite assistant general secretary, who is leading talks to resolve the dispute, said the film would help set the record straight: "For those who want to understand the truth behind this dispute this film shows why crew have been driven to consider industrial action for the second time in as many months.  Low wages, the stress of working under imposed changes and the distress of cutting corners on passenger service have pushed them to this point.

"These are dedicated professionals, men and women who care for their company and want it to succeed.  Most employers would give their proverbial right arm to have a staff resource of this quality and commitment, not trash it through distortion or attempt to cow it with threats to take revenge if they strike. 

"Now the truth is there of all to see, BA must move on from attacks on its crew to negotiating a secure settlement and a future for this airline."

Unite is leading the fight against imposed changes which have cut crew numbers by between one and three onboard all flights and forced through changes to in-flight service delivery.  The ballot opened on January 25th and will close on February 22nd.  Unite represents more than 12,000 of BA's 13,500 cabin crew.

ENDS

Notes:  While the film was made in conjunction with BA crew, Unite has distorted their images and replaced their voices with those of actors for fear that crew may be targeted at work for their participation.