Virgin strike ballot to be within 2 weeks

[angel659]

Obi,

Heard anymore??

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

No, not yet.
Unions still in their 7 day notice to Virgin.

 

[angel659]

Ok, thank you Obi.

 

[curllyjock]

obi won you are defo from the dark side.

I have read some of your postings and you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.
The situation is very complex and not as simple as you make it out to be and SRB and virgin will not get their way it has gone on for too long. Your comments about the crew were degrading and uncalled for. You make out you know everthing about their jobs and all the details about the strike ,you dont believe me. If they do strike I hope you get caught up in it you deserve that for your comments happy flying.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

obi won you are defo from the dark side.

I have read some of your postings and you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.
The situation is very complex and not as simple as you make it out to be and SRB and virgin will not get their way it has gone on for too long. Your comments about the crew were degrading and uncalled for. You make out you know everthing about their jobs and all the details about the strike ,you dont believe me. If they do strike I hope you get caught up in it you deserve that for your comments happy flying.

Thank you for your insightful comments without any backup facts supplied. Please illuminate us with the complexity.

We shall see in a few weeks.

Thank you for hoping I get caught up in strike action, alomg with the thousands of others who this could be their only holiday in years to a special place, I am sure they fully support your comments and look forward to their holidays being ruined.

If you are Cabin crew, thank you for your frank attitude to your customers who pay your wages.

 

[Goofyish]

Guys, can we keep this thread to the original topic of reporting the progress of the VA cabin industrial action/ballots etc.

Please don't let it get into a personal slanging match. It is an emotive subject, especially if your are caught up in the industrial action (on both sides!), or I will be forced to close the thread.

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

Looking forward to your updates on this Obi.

We're planning to go back to Orlando next October and the way this dispute pans out could make our decision on whether to fly Virgin or BA.

 

[curllyjock]

I am not crew and I sympathise with people who may be affected that does not include you.Many people back the crew and so they should they deliver award winning service time and time again without recognition. Crew realise passengers pay their wages and yes there are some bad eggs but the overwhelming majority work very hard indeed for not a lot of money. Virgin announce 4billion order for new aircraft spend 10 million on a new walkway for upperclass passengers spend 50 million on a new training facility spend 20 million on new lounges and it goes on and on and not a penny to renumerate cabin crew for the superb job they do. I back the crew 100% as do many others any blame should be laid with the company who need to take notice of their real money earners its not the product that keeps people flying virgin but the crew.

 

[penlanspice]

I back the crew 100% as do many others any blame should be laid with the company who need to take notice of their real money earners its not the product that keeps people flying virgin but the crew.

I'd have to disagree with you there to be honest. I travel with Virgin due to the incentives we receive such as flying miles, it's a case of once you start flying with a particular airline your likely to stay with them as you have starting earning flying miles.
We have come across some really bad flight attendants with Virgin, inperticular one lady about two years ago with an absolutely disgraceful attitude, I really should of made a formal complaint about. So for us it's certainly not the crew that keep us coming back far from it.


If you think Obi is wrong why don't you state the issues he's wrong about instead of attacking him, it's his opinion and he's entitled to it as as are you. Many people around these boards value his opinion and knowledge.
I am one of the ones who could be caught up in the strike as I fly just before new year so anything Obi has to report on the situation I am grateful for.
I would also like to hear you opinions if you would like to share you thoughts on the situation.


This situation could back fire if Virgin do decide to strike over Xmas as there are thousands of families that could be caught up in this situation and I'm sure many of them including me would never used Virgin again if their xmas/new years holidays were ruined over this.

 

[CustardTart]

...its not the product that keeps people flying virgin but the crew...

Sorry, but the 'product' is exactly why we fly VA. We've experienced good, bad and indifferent crew but we still book for the UC cabin and the miles.

I'm flying to MCO with my DS for a surprise trip to WDW. If the strike messes this up there's a strong chance we'll switch allegiance in future. I'm already pretty miffed that VA have switched our January Barbados flights to LHR from LGW so we'll see...

 

[angel659]

Curllyjock,

I am thankful for Obi's useful information. We all dont agree at times on here, but it never gets personal. Not only are you wishing that bleep hits the fan for Obi, but you are wishing this on fellow diser's. I for one would never wish for anyones holiday to be spoilt. Please can we keep all personal insults at bay and keep on the topic at hand. For the record if VA do strike and it ruins our holiday then we will be changing carriers in the future.

Obi,

Is there any news? Thanks for helping and keeping us informed on the current status.

 

[gavvy]

Sorry, but the 'product' is exactly why we fly VA. We've experienced good, bad and indifferent crew but we still book for the UC cabin and the miles.

I would say that the Virgin crew are part of the overall product and Image that virgin try to present, sadly the comments made by some of them on cabin crew forums and V flyer show just out of touch some of them are with reality. They are so caught up in themselves they have forgotten the most important thing - the customer.

Even if virgin don't strike I got a feeling my Dec and Feb flights will be the last ones i take with VS. The service is very hit and miss, the cutbacks over the last few years now really show and the outsourced customer service in India is dire. I dont pay a premium for an inconsistant product. When they re good VS can be the best product in the air, however my last few flights were far from that, and the attitude of some of the crew stank!

Think I may try BA in the future and I know im not alone, its really disappointing as virgin used to be so "different" to the rest, now they seem to be bottom of the pile.


Ive read somewhere that managment are aware things are broke.. They need to get it sorted fast!

 

[jmagla]

Unlike a lot of boards I have been on, it is not often that this one descends into uncalled for personal remarks and I would hope it doesn't again. Personally I have always found the information provided by OBI to be very useful and informative.

Keep up the good work OBI!!!

Cheers Michael

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Curlyjock,
Whilst the crews performance makes up quite a large part of the passengers in flight experiance, you will see from many forums that their performance has not been to the level that the passengers have expected. This cannot be blamed on the salary, but down to the individual crew members and their own attitude. There are, indeed many crew members who have performed their jobs with aplomb and have been praised for such, regardless of any pay dispute, but there is a minority that, if you paid them £40,000 a year would still provide rubbish service.
This problem needs to be addressed by strong management, who have let this happen.
As for the statement that its not the product but the crew, that is plainly wrong.
Virgin have to keep the premium passengers, the businessmen and women flying with them, paying the £3,000-£4,000 per trip, this has been acheived by the best in the world Clubhouses, the limo services and the UC cabin.
In the day of tightening the belts, Virgin have increased their PE passenger rate by again, providing better seating and better food/Ameinity kits.
The crew whilst palying their part are not the reason many people fly with Virgin, it may have been so whe the company was a small airline flying quirky flights fresh and interesting flights, but Virgin has gone "middle aged" and people expect more than seat back TV's today.

The main complaints against the comapny are (and in no particular order)
a) On time performance
b) Awful Economy seat pitch
c) Awful food across the cabins
d) Terrible service in Economy, with crew dissapearing for hours and no ability to get a drink.
e) On the B & s routes "old" aircraft with worse than Charter IFE

These are the areas that Virgin need to address, and paying more than 4.8% to cabin crew is not going to sort these out in any way shape or form.
They have to spend money on training, on new cabins, on new planes and new IFE just to survive in this market, let alone when open skies comes along.

Whilst many people will support more money for Cabin crew, they would support more money for all employees in this country, but the fact is that in this global economy, many are getting no pay rise whatsoever, or only rate of inflation, on salaries less tyhan Cabin crew and it is seen to be greedy to want more than 4.8%. Crew reductions on aircraft, many, many businesses have reduced their staffing levels to compete with companies outside the UK and many Local Government workers are seeing staff reductions to keep Council taxes down.
These people have possibly to save for two years to go to Florida for example, and to see CC offered 4.8% and then threaten to destory their hard worked for hyoliday really grates them.

Personally I feel the CC should accept this offer and build upon it in future negotiations.
They are still in a better position than many CC at Globespan, TCA, FCA and the rest of the airlines downsizing. they have a job to go to.

 

[natalielongstaff]

is there a need to keep up the argument !! can we not agree to walk away from this issue without the mods closing the thread

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

is there a need to keep up the argument !! can we not agree to walk away from this issue without the mods closing the thread

You are probably right that it should not be in UK Trip planning, as its diverted from the strike information.

Personally I thought the discussion had returned to a discussion of the merits or not of the Virgin action, I did not think it was now persona attacking each other which was the reason the mods were threatening to close it??

 

[UKDEB]

Guys, this is a Trip Planning board, not a forum for debate and despite Tim's earlier request, this thread continues to be off topic. Please stick to the facts surrounding the strike and refrain from any further expressions of opinion on its merits.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Guys, this is a Trip Planning board, not a forum for debate and despite Tim's earlier request, this thread continues to be off topic. Please stick to the facts surrounding the strike and refrain from any further expressions of opinion on its merits.

I thought thats what I said in the post above?

Can you not strip out the debate over the merits of the strike and move it to the Community board?

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

Please don't close this thread - it's fascinating! After all, these are 'discussion' boards and this is what's happening.

Obi is more than capable of taking care of himself with any rash comments, nobody else is being 'personally' involved at the moment...... I'm too frightened to have my say now in case I get the thread closed

Come on everyone

 

[UKDEB]

I thought thats what I said in the post above?

Your post suggests that you consider it okay to continue to debate the merits of the strike, as long as there are no personal attacks.