Virgin Atlantic pilots to ballot for strike

Ditto, its all very quiet, which is possibly a good sign as it may indicate some heavy meetings going on.... fingers crossed for all concerned

Ps..thanks Rev Jess!

While we are waiting for news...whats everyone's views on this:
http://virginatlantic.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/587/session/L3RpbWUvMTMwOTM1OTAxMS9zaWQvblpVRllKeGs%3D

The last link ..."I'm annoyed...." etc. I find the wording a bit ....'odd' for a major highly professional airline...

[honey lamb]

While we are waiting for news...whats everyone's views on this:
http://virginatlantic.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/587/session/L3RpbWUvMTMwOTM1OTAxMS9zaWQvblpVRllKeGs%3D

The last link ..."I'm annoyed...." etc. I find the wording a bit ....'odd' for a major highly professional airline...

Not at all. It's couched in the language that the passenger would be using and if you go the VS's Facebook page, that's exactly what they are saying

Thanks Honey Lamb,

Maybe true..but I think it implies the problem has been caused 100% by the pilots, albeit subtly... implanting a view as it were... It provokes a negative emotional response ....if it said "...with the airline..." it would be a little more appropriate perhaps?

Have you or anyone been putting the balanced arguments over on Facebook? The customers need to know real objctive issues that have been discussed on here

[Darren Wheeler]

Thanks Honey Lamb,

Have you or anyone been putting the balanced arguments over on Facebook? The customers need to know real objctive issues that have been discussed on here

Off you go then.

reading through some of the comments below posts on the VS Facebook page I think the uncertainty of strikes may be giving BA a lot of the pax they lost in their strikes back to them. or to other carriers.
This cant be good for VS if it goes on much longer.

Haha thanks Darren
If anyone fancies taking up the Facebook challenge, be my guest and feel free to quote me...I need to catch up on some work and Facebook is the Black Hole of time management!

The last link ..."I'm annoyed...." etc. I find the wording a bit ....'odd' for a major highly professional airline...

I don't think it's the best move personally. Whilst I agree that it's something some passengers would (and indeed have) said, it could be seen as highly inflammatory when it comes to BALPA and the pilots. It could be viewed as if the company is shifting all the blame on one side, which is almost never the case.

Custom and Rev Jess

Thanks for your balanced and informed views on this thread.

The last link ..."I'm annoyed...." etc. I find the wording a bit ....'odd' for a major highly professional airline...

On this topic, what I find stranger is that when you follow that link the wording they use in the knowledgebase answer itself is "I am really angry that your pilots are affecting my holiday plans". [my bold emphasis]

Fortunately there is no subsequent link from that answer, as I suspect if there was, the poor passenger would become "bloody furious" by then .

Thanks Martin, thats very much appreciated.

Ref the second link, I hadnt noticed that-well spotted, and yes.. I dont think I would have written either of those, as Jess rightly says it could be inflammatory. Maybe thats an indication of an 'us and them' scenario within Virgin. It's always existed in the airline business but it has to change if the industry is going to progress. Again this is where HR's roles and capabilities are supremely important, and again the mutual trust and respect element is absolutely vital.

While we are waiting for news...whats everyone's views on this:
http://virginatlantic.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/587/session/L3RpbWUvMTMwOTM1OTAxMS9zaWQvblpVRllKeGs%3D

The last link ..."I'm annoyed...." etc. I find the wording a bit ....'odd' for a major highly professional airline...

I think it is incredilby stupid of VS to have this sort of link/comment on their website and is more likely to make the pilots take action - action than VS says they don't want the pilots to take.

No doubt someone in the VS 'communications' department thought it was a good idea but didn't think of the possible consequences.

If you have a hacked off workforce that are critical to your business you should be doing everything possible to reduced hacked off levels not increase them !

They could at least let people know what is happening...

Custom22 wrote:While we are waiting for news...whats everyone's views on this:
http://virginatlantic.custhelp.com/app/ ... RllKeGs%3D

Just looked at this. Surely it's been written by a youth experience person?

[Darren Wheeler]

Reads to me like a response to questions they are getting both on and off line.

Reads to me like a response to questions they are getting both on and off line.

And it probably is but in any industrial dispute, diplomacy is key. If sides look like their being drawn, then people's backs start getting up. Language is so important. Just look at last years BA CC strike was full of confrontational nonsense.

Fortunately, the VS pilots are a much more considered bunch. I still maintain that the pilots don't want to strike, and the further we go without fates being announced, the better the chance of a resolution.

Totally agree Jess!

[Neil]

Totally agree Jess!

Off topic, if anyone is flying tonight or tomorrow, the UK Border agency staff have started their strike early by not turning up for tonights shifts. BAA at Gatwick are predicting major delays in terminals which will may well cause knock on effects to flight operations...

We do already have a thread about the UK border agency strikes, so please keep discussions in this thread about the VS pilot strike and any discussions about that strike in the other existing thread.

Well 'stressed' looks like we're safe. So go and enjoy your honeymoon. Have a great time.

As for the strike, well there seems to be a lot of headscratching going on over at pprune. The mood seems to be quite positive.

Still keeping 'em crossed.

Jess B

I appreciate what you are saying and whilst I don't share the same view as catsilverwood (I know it's not a life of permanent holidays) if it is that bad no one forces you to do this for a living so my sympathy is almost non existent.

I'm not ignorant of the downsides involved in the job - but nonetheless stand by my comments about working in another sector. It's far from a bed of roses in local government either and while the stresses may be different, they are most definitely there (constant re-structures for one, where there are always job losses - they don't tend to reach the news). And the 'benefits' are pretty paltry. We've had no pay rises for 3 years either and even when we did, 4% would have seemed like a true luxury...

Hi catsilversword

Yes, I agree with you regarding local Govt and in fact most job sectors - what really makes me livid is despite calls from everyone to make the banks and banking regulators financially responsible for the damage they have caused to the economy and therefore everyone's livelihoods and working conditions, and absolutely nothing is being done about it.

Virgin CEO interviewed in todays Independent.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/turbulent-times-for-bransons-racing-mate-2304590.html

Well 'stressed' looks like we're safe. So go and enjoy your honeymoon. Have a great time.

As for the strike, well there seems to be a lot of headscratching going on over at pprune. The mood seems to be quite positive.

Still keeping 'em crossed.

Jess B

Yay! Have a lovely holiday too. Where are you off to?

I appreciate what you are saying and whilst I don't share the same view as catsilverwood (I know it's not a life of permanent holidays) if it is that bad no one forces you to do this for a living so my sympathy is almost non existent.

I'm not ignorant of the downsides involved in the job - but nonetheless stand by my comments about working in another sector. It's far from a bed of roses in local government either and while the stresses may be different, they are most definitely there (constant re-structures for one, where there are always job losses - they don't tend to reach the news). And the 'benefits' are pretty paltry. We've had no pay rises for 3 years either and even when we did, 4% would have seemed like a true luxury...

Local Government? Aren't they making strike threats too?
I doubt many people are happy in their jobs and always want more. I'm pleased I'm a rare exception.

[Darren Wheeler]

OK folks, we're starting to drift off topic now with discussion of other public sector wages/pay rises/strikes etc.

Please try and keep to the subject of the dispute within Virgin Atlantic.

Thanks

Yay! Have a lovely holiday too. Where are you off to?

flying out to Tokyo for a few weeks. I swear the trip is cursed. We booked 18 hours before the earthquake, then we had trouble with payment to the hotel (the earthquake screwed the payment up) and now this strike. Well at least we can fly out. Whether we can get back....

Where are you heading for you honeymoon?

Custom22, thanks for the link to the interview. Very interesting reading. Mr ridgeway has stated his position quite well and it seems that he stands by the original offer. Of course he has to. But his language is soft and non confrontational. So let's hope it means good news soon. There's nothing worse than uncertainty when your traveling.

Best wishes,
Jess B