Back to the future

Its not quite the nineteen seventies, for one I'm not a self centered, rude, inarticulate yoof, disrespectful of most institutions with a passion for loud music, no I'm more mature and rounded and er grumpy maybe a bit deaf, the rest still applies.

Not everything was brilliant back in 70's, but peoples jobs were protected more than today, the media was dominated by right wing lackeys, the BBC was innately conservative, and society had yet to be written off by right wing nutters and tax dodging Tory backers.

Today is reminiscent of 1970's, in as much as we have a failing economy, an indecisive electorate and craven politicians, who'd come out with any bollix, just to get into office.

The country is divided as never before, on one side, we have a bloated public sector, who believe in a god given right to annual pay increases, sick pay, subsidised pensions on the other, the commercial sector however are paying with lost jobs, pay cuts taking the brunt of the after effects of the banking industries crisis, caused by negligent and parasitic & immoral management.

Its now the norm, to view, employees as nothing more than commodities, so is it any wonder, that given the management style of British Airways that staff there have been forced to withdraw their services, now I know that those of us old enough will be looking at Tony Woodley (Unite Boss) and thinking 70's trade union dinosaur, but before you condemn consider British Airways history and earlier errors in management, in 2008 paying millions in compensation for price fixing, in the 1990's, BA lawyers had to unreservedly apologise for a dirty tricks campaign against Virgin Atlantic, in 1985 Freddie Laker accepted a multi million settlement from BA after being put out of business by competitors (I don't think BA ever considered the flying public when trying to put competitors out of business).

The point is as I mentioned recently Unite are acting in a business context, in which staff have no wish to brushed aside like some commodity, if you think BA management are considerate angels and just worried about the traveling public, you might wish to think again.

Just a point on media coverage, it was interesting how the BBC in early reports that I saw found it easy to locate a victim, that is an inconvenienced member of the public whose travel arrangements were cocked up but didn't or couldn't interview aircrew who presumably will have their work life screwed up. Good luck to BA staff and management.

Hopefully the outcome of this strike is that employers have some respect for employees. This strike will damage both parties so lets hope that those involve can resolve the issues sooner rather than later.