bridge too far

Aah just found an article explaining it all: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8586933.stm So they DO have to pay taxes on top of the discounted ticket rates and it confirms that they are on standby. And, if you read to the bottom of the article, it seems that other airlines operate a similar system.

totty

Oh OK thanks. I have a friend who lives in mid France and commutes to the UK to work. Of course, he has to fly. So no different to, say, a French crew member flying into the UK to work. After all, it's cheaper to live in France. Nothing wrong with that - we're Europeans after all So we come back to the 'freebies'. Which aren't free. And which are only given to staff if there are spare seats. What's so wrong with that? Edit You can tell I don't fly any more! I thought BA flew to European destinations. I'm sure I flew BA to Alicante some years ago - has it changed?

dish

donate

But he's responsible for all spending incurred after administration - so that's alright then

Thankyou - that's what I thought (with regard to the American Express workers). Since BA is a (British owned) European carrier, serving European destinations, it is perfectly understandable that some of the European crew live in those European countries too.

You miss my point. A number of BA crew are nationals from the countries that BA serves. Are those American Express call centre workers all British? Or are they nationals from other countries allowed to work in the UK?

I don't know how to multiquote Wes but I'd like to pick up on one point about housing. I think the problem with 'right to buy' was that the money that local authorities received when they sold their housing stock was not allowed to be used to reprovide council housing. But I can well understand people wanting to buy houses they'd lived in for years. I don't know what happened to those receipts - whether they were held as reserves or whether local authorities used them for other things - but they weren't used to reprovide and that's where a lot of the problems stem from. Some of the void was filled by housing associations and some of the remaining council housing was handed over to the housing associations, most of which do a sterling job. But it didn't address the problem of affordable housing to rent. The resultant property boom meant a lot of people were even more priced out of the market. The last government started to address the issue with 'rent to buy' and keyworker accommodation but much more needed to be done. My daughter and her husband (he a teacher and she earning more than him) could only afford to buy 75% of their house and will have to pay the remainder within 10 years. And they're not poor by any stretch of the imagination, nor are they unique. Still at least they're not having to pay 15+% interest as was the case in the 90s. I don't think property prices have fallen - certainly not in the South / South East. Our house is worth 30% more than when we bought it 7 years ago.

Puke?

Although she won major accolades for her speech in the Commons about the 42 day detention bill from the opposition (David Davies) ["one of the finest speeches I have heard since being elected to the House of Commons"] and won the Spectator (a right wing magazine) Parliamentary Speech of the Year.

And Abbott FFS x 2

Yeah this was discussed on the previous thread. I can't be arsed to go back and look but I think it was around 11% IIRC. I don't think the 'non-dom' issue is relevant actually. I bet a good number of British crew work for overseas airlines too. Since BA flies to foreign countries, it's probably a good thing to have a multi-national workforce since it's not the norm for we Brits to speak in tongues.

camera

That's what I said in my post you quoted. Although, and I'm happy to be corrected on this, I understood that crew only got 'freebies' (although in fact they have to pay a percentage) if the seat was going to be empty. They didn't get 'free' seats at the expense of fare paying passengers. That was certainly the case when my friends were crew for BA. But giving empty seats to crew must cost a fortune - you're quite right.

more

But the same can be applied to my 'opposition', surely? My freedom of thought allows me the option of not going with the herd. Would you deny me that?

p i s s taking

The French dad at the other end is probably thinking exactly the same TBF.

Hey I've been converted on the road to Damascus! I now realise that in fact both sides have agreed on cost cutting measures. It's just the silly old union hanging on for reinstatement of reduced travel for staff that's buggering the whole thing up. Idiots - fancy wanting those back. I mean, they cost BA a flippin' fortune! Jeez!

toilet cleaner

They were at school together, did you know that?

winfrey

I bow to your vastly superior knowledge of these things, Ginge. I've completely changed my mind. I will now only ever believe what is reported in the Daily Mail etc. and I will completely disregard the other side of the story. How stupid of me to even begin to think there might be two sides to this dispute when there's patently only one side. I'm suitably chastened and cleaning my blinkers as I type. Thank you for saving my soul

I think the bullying is being done by WW. Jeez, he even overrode his own negotiating team when they'd reached a concensus with the union.