For those of you that were concerned that I might be shutting down the website as I took the position as a ‘research officer’ at the University of Leeds need not worry.
I turned up for the interview, but turned around when I saw the queue:
So, looks like I’m stuck in the double glazing industry for a bit longer 
BA Cabin Crew Strike
When I first started planning a charity bike ride in India, I was keen to book a reliable airline to take us all to Bangalore on New Year’s Day.
So, I booked with British Airways – the world’s favourite airline!
It’s not the airlines fault, but we’re now stuck in a position where we have 22 people from the UK supposed to be flying out on New Years Day, and we have no idea if we’re going. All the cyclists have been working hard all year, both fundraising and training for the event.
Our Indian organisers have booked internal flights, an overnight sleeper train, reserved hotel rooms, bought bikes, hired staff and all this is in jeapordy. I cannot move the date as all these arrangements are in place, and the charity will lose money if we try put things back. BA cannot pay us back for the tickets as the flights have not been cancelled, and even if they did, I doubt we will be able to book a group of people on other carriers at such short notice and on the same dates.
To say I have no sympathy for the cabin crew is a massive understatement.
Leads
As predicted, potential customers are so wrapped up with Christmas preparations that leads seem to be very thin on the ground. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but I hate Christmas. The bin at the side of my desk is overflowing with Christmas cards. Please don’t send me any more please.
Weather
There’s sleet and snow on the way for most of the country over the next few days. Luckily, most of it seems to be about to hit the South East which isn’t too bad, as we don’t install conservatories down there.
On top of this, we have short days so fitters can’t get as much installed, which ultimately means less product going through the factory. And all the roads are clogged up with people driving too slowly, or crashing into other vehicles because they can’t drive properly.
Why is it when I’m in the outside lane of the motorway, and I flash the car in front of me to move over, instead they slow down and switch their fog lights on?
If everyone drove 10mph faster than they do now, then congestion would be cured overnight as people would get to their destination quicker, hence less traffic on the roads.
Ride 4 Hope Book
On a more positive note, I have purchased a copy of the Ride 4 Hope book.
You’ve heard the rumours, read the blogs and now you can buy the book! Graeme Bailey, managing director of Business Micros has written and published his personal account of the cycling epic across the USA and it makes for great reading.
In September 2008 a team of cyclists from GM Fundraising cycled across the USA in aid of Hope House Children’s Hospices. Searing heat, poisonous snakes and a broken down RV were just some of the problems encountered and these stories and many more have now gone to print.
The square format coffee table book is 154 pages long and contains over 140 pictures. It is a limited print run and there are copies still available for £25 each, but you need to be quick. To reserve yours, e-mail gary@gmfundraising.co.uk or contact him direct on 07831 608882 before they all go.
Tags: ba cabin crew strike, british airways, charity bike ride, Charity Bike Rides, Double Glazing Fitters, GM Fundraising, i hate christmas, research officer leeds, ride 4 hope, Ride4Hope, unite union
Sorry to hear you booked B. A. The last time we used them was when we waited in line, at Gatwick, for over 4 hours at express baggage drop, it was Christmas, they had about 32 desks and only 10 open, like they did not know it would be busy. None of the other airlines had any one waiting.
I do hope you make it though, the fund is important.
ABBA – Anything but British Airways
I won’t be popular for saying this,but I have some sympathy for the BA staff. The newspapers are currently full propaganda rubbishing their side of the story. I’m not sure what to believe.
When I use an airline (about 5 times a year) it is very noticeable the amount of non-uk labour now used in all types of airline service jobs. What is abundantly clear is the low job interest and lack of moral. Presumably this is a direct consequence of the airline industry having to find economies in running costs (lower wages to you and me) in order to either stand still or make a very little profit on a huge turnover.
It amazes me how people in our industry cannot see the parallels between the recently debated demise of Easi fit conservatories- cheered to the rafters by most-and the current airline industry. ie trying to operate an industry at an un-sustainably low cost. Or is it just a case of we are not bother as long as it not us or our families who suffer?
Before rushing to jump on me, remember to be very careful what you wish for:
Some politicians are currently promoting a macho cost cutting agenda, seeing who can deliver the most economic pain,but if lower wage costs are going to be applied to whole sections of society (as has happened in The Republic of Ireland recently),then that effects the disposable income of employee’s which in turn will ultimately effect each and every one of us as retailers.
My point is that although we all like to negotiate (and brag!) that we have got the best price for – in this case a flight or holiday- in the longer run we would be all better off paying just a little more for some services, so that we can continue to enjoy the lifestyle we have all become accustomed to in the last 20 odd years.
Ian
I agree that we should all consider paying a bit more for service and quality. That’s why I booked the group to fly with British Airways! They’re not a low cost operator.
But, BA work in a competitive sector similar to the one we work in, and if the company is struggling to make a profit, then they may have to consider shedding staff as part of a wider cost cutting strategy.
Sorry, but I just cannot simpathise at all with the cabin crew – but maybe that’s because I’m directly affected.
RCG
Can i be grumpy too? Two weeks ago my chain broke on my bike and by the time it was fixed i had lost a week of training. I was all set to go out yesterday but it was raining. With time out running before we go to India i had to go. 42 miles (my best yet) in a constant drizzle. I was soaked, cold and exhausted.
And now we might not be going !
It’s lucky i don’t get too upset about life
I am sure we will make it.
RGC:
I accept your point I am not affected by the strike. But I would like to think that my reasoning if a strike was valid or not would not be primarily about whether I was inconvenienced.
I did not mean to say that BA are a low cost operator,far from it, I just think the other side of the coin should have an airing, as this may well have a far greater impact on us in the long run, than is apparent at first glance. Wider issues are at stake here.
I am old school in so much that when I buy a ticket I want it to cover for ALL items connected with my flight.
I would resent having to pay an exorbitant penalty fee at the check in should I foul up on my on-line booking, I like to take my suitcase, I like to watch a film in flight, I like to sit with my family as a group, I like to be served an in flight meal. All of these services are charged for separately (or are non-existent)by those airlines who headline the cheapest flights-(cheapest for who?)-and would dearly like us all to be subject to this model.
Its a bit like us selling windows, and charging incrementally more for the options of glass, locking handles,cills etc. whilst at the same time subjecting our staff to sweatshop conditions,all in the name of competition and ‘efficiency’.This does not sit easy with me.
I’ll wager that airline staff who work for BA and other similar types of airline are much better spenders in our industry than low wage earners working for budget airlines.
Hope the dispute can be resolved in time for your
trip.
Hi Ian
I do take your point and broadly agree with what you are saying.
Looks like the dispute has now been sorted, so I better get on the bike now and do some training!
RCG
Well done for sorting the airline problems between you
RCG Said
If everyone drove 10mph faster than they do now, then congestion would be cured overnight as people would get to their destination quicker, hence less traffic on the roads….
You could be onto something clever here , most accidents happen in a given place , therefore if we all drive faster, we are spending less time in any given place, therefore less accidents and thus the roads would be safer if we all drove faster !
Kev
Kev
Like your thinking. Then if everyone gets places quicker, and less people die on the roads, then productivity in the economy would increase. People would also have more time to shop.
Hence, we could cure the economic crisis at the same time.
RCG
Union led industry are the bain of current businesses, sometimes you do not have the time to consult and make decisions on things. Let’s put this one out there the Union people get people to pay them money therefore if they get the mass workforce pay rises they make more money! O.k. working conditions are a different thing no one should have to work in bad situations, but sometimes tough decisions have to be made to save jobs for the whole workforce.
If you look at the number of industries in the UK that used to be Union led most of them have shut down, car industry all but gone, steel industry all but gone, Coal Mining the list can go on. The reason:it was not cost effectve to run these industries in the UK. The reason every year a pay rise was wanted and expected not taking into account the current economic climate of the world stage and whether or not the companies were actually making money, then as an industry and a workforce those factories became un economical and consequently those greedy unions who were still getting there salaries while the actual members were on strike finally ended up with nothing.
As you can tell I’m not fan of unions I’m sure in the UK there work was necessary but in a modern country where economics have always got to be looked at they are becoming a dinosaur of useless wafflings to try and increase there own revenues they have become a business themseles now and every one who is in the union is supporting the guys at the top of the union who waste the workers hard paid monies on expensive dinners and the likes.
This is my opinion and mine alone, I’ve had meetings with union people before and trust me I’m sure there are people in the unions working for the good of the workforce but alot of them couldn’t give two hoots ..
I’ll stop waffling now, but Unions SUCK.
Andrew:
If only it were that simplistic to blame the demise of manufacturing in the UK on ‘greedy unions’
If you are going to cite ‘increased costs’ as the principle reason, the how come BMW,Mercedes Benz and Siemens to name but three highly successful German companies, have prospered over the same period of time, when they face paying comparable wages in a unionized environment?
My own opinion for what its worth is that much of British Society has an ingrained snobbery against British Manufactering, to the point where we are looked upon with distain.
Private education on the whole steers its best towards other proffesions.
I am blaming it firmly on the unions, why do people think that these companies are moving abroad to provide their services. There’s no unions telling them you can’t do this and you cant do that oh and by the way we are going to stop your whole workforce from working once a year.
BMW, Mercedes Benz and Siemens are not inbred BRITISH union based companies and have brought work to the uk and have probably negotiated with the unions prior to their integration into the UK.
Think about the huge companies that have been effected old companies who were nationalized who were trying to be privatised. Rover / MG, British Steel the coal board all thoroughly union led and now longer existing.
Think of the industries we have issues with now BA old company and the biggest of them all the Private Sector (Civil Servants) a law unto themselves, local governments on Flexi Time still. (that went out with the Ark). Most of britain don’t look upon the manufacturing side with destain as a matter of fact it was how Britain became such a great place but then we turned into a country based to heavily on the service industry because we could no longer compete on the world stage for manufacturing products.
Just think from an employers point of view, I’m going to invest in a country where I get told what I have to pay as a minimum wage I get told exactly what I have to do I can’t force anyone to work extra hours and I’m not allowed to pick the best people for a job as I must have a PC workforce.
As a country we are flawed by too many rules and regulations to be an effective place to invest in .
I still think Unions SUCK in the early days they were fantastic things but then turned into an annual lets have a pay rise party. If the Unions buggerd off from BA the workforce as a whole would be better off and they may just be able to turn those huge losses into some profits… What sort of union would tell a workforce to strike when they now the company is in a loss making situation????!!!! Pillocks the lot of them.
I’m for paying people a good wage for a good job done is that such a bad thing and do I need a union to tell me what that should be ?
Any way I’m going to shut up again now because the bloody unions wind me up.
I think you need to go and lie down now chum.
Merry Christmas
I’m chilled now thanks I’ve seen an anger management guy and he said I’m cured as Long as I don’t talk about Unions.
Hope you’ve all had a good christmas.