British Airways

[Black Swan]

Mr Walsh is frequently painted as a tough nut, but he isn’t so tough as to have kept staff costs under control. Possibly to justify his own pay rise of 6 per cent, he allowed the wages of cabin crew to rise by 5 per cent last year, to an average of £31,400. Virgin, by contrast, froze the earnings of its cabin crew at £14,000 and bmi cut them by 6.5 per cent to £17,200.
I can think of one thing that would strike far more fear into BA cabin crew than the sight of Mr Walsh’s red pen: one of those pay audits that are all the rage in the public sector. BA cabin crew average earnings work out at £603 per week. What occupation would they like to be compared with? Travel and tour guides — whose median earnings according to the Office for National Statistics’ annual survey of hours and earnings 2009 stood at £267 per week? Waiters and waitresses (£237)? Leisure and other personal service occupations (£341)?

BA cabin crew even earn more than nurses (£581) and are not far short of engineering professionals (£683). Can anyone come up with a convincing argument why the people who serve coffee on board an aircraft should be paid almost as much as the people who keep it in the air?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7134446.ece

 

[arabianights]

And can anyone come up with a convincing reason why engineers are paid so low, while they're at it?

 

[0007]

A guy on Radio 5 described the cabin staff as "glorified waiters with a bit of first-aid training". The staff down at my local restaurant give excellent service for a lot less than £31k. The strikers need to get real - time is running out.

Branson et al must be laughing their socks off.

 

[gooseman]

And can anyone come up with a convincing reason why engineers are paid so low, while they're at it?

i have a degree in engineering. now i do this as i couldn't find a worthwile job after graduating.

 

[arabianights]

Computing degree here, and although I don't really think I'd enjoy that too much if someone wanted to throw money at me for being a philosopher I'd bite their hand off.

The brain drain to the city may be far more a tragedy than is commonly appreciated.

 

[gooseman]

i had no intention of working up here either. kind of fell into it really. i'm always amazed by the lack of vocational education we have here in comparison to mainland Europe.

 

[Mr. Charts]

My son graduated with a First in Aeronautical Engineering last summer.
He wouldn't work for BA for any amount of money.
Richard

 

[sebitlo]

And can anyone come up with a convincing reason why engineers are paid so low, while they're at it?

the engineering profession is a bit dead in UK. engineers are not valued, a good engineering graduate is best off having a crack in the city, all the good ones from oxbridge go to the city, and wallstreet. the state of manufacturing in UK says it all, a chartered engineer with 10+years experience still earning 20-somethin odd grand, when he could hav gone to write subprime derivatives in finance and retired after 5-years.

 

[sebitlo]

Travel perks which they regard as being a "right" not a privilege. They are angry because they feel they have been robbed of free flights and of getting flights for 10% for family and friends. They are outraged and believe they can beat management.

very very short sighted individuals, the demise of BA can never be a good thing for everyone.

cabin stewards should know better, when BA goes under only the lucky beautiful ones will land jobs at Ryanair for half the salary.

Its actually a scandal that its not pilots kicking up a stink, not maintanence staff, but airborne silver service staff. cant they just be sacked, whats holding up willie walsh

 

[robster970]

the engineering profession is a bit dead in UK. engineers are not valued, a good engineering graduate is best off having a crack in the city, all the good ones from oxbridge go to the city, and wallstreet. the state of manufacturing in UK says it all, a chartered engineer with 10+years experience still earning 20-somethin odd grand, when he could hav gone to write subprime derivatives in finance and retired after 5-years.

As an engineer I agree that we're not valued as a profession.

Badly paid though? No chance. If you're good, the money finds you. It gets even more lucrative if you've got some specialisms that are valuable.

I don't buy the 'I'm a poor engineer' mantra. You make your own luck in any game.

£20k was starting pay in 1991 as a grad in the defense industry and that's about as badly paid as you get in the UK.

 

[arabianights]

robster,

can you design me a bomb? I want to blow up gchq

 

[robster970]

I've been in there a long time ago (the old site). Had a look at some Cray's they use for stuff. No idea what they were doing but they looked really space age.

 

[arabianights]

That kinda looks like the new site.

I was gonna tell a story here, but even in my addled state decided discretion is better part of valour...

(No, doesn't involve me. For obvious reasons I'm not even remotely suitable to work for any security service )

 

[ceydababy]

My son graduated with a First in Aeronautical Engineering last summer.
He wouldn't work for BA for any amount of money.
Richard

That's a lie

 

[robster970]

That kinda looks like the new site.

I was gonna tell a story here, but even in my addled state decided discretion is better part of valour...

(No, doesn't involve me. For obvious reasons I'm not even remotely suitable to work for any security service )

Ironically I was allowed in there on an open day! I stood there shouting at it asking it if it fancied a game of chess but it just whirred at me until somebody came and told me I shouldn't have been in the room. It didn't have a big red eye but it did have the smallest monochrome VDU stuck in its side that I have ever seen in my life.

Most secure thing I've been allowed near is a bottle of paracetemol.

 

[arabianights]

Try www.prescribe4u.org

 

[Mr. Charts]

That's a lie

No it isn't.
He's got principles

 

[arabianights]

Come on Dicky old chap, what great principle is so anti-BA from an engineering POV?

(Genuine curiosity btw)

 

[Mr. Charts]

David,
It isn't.
He wouldn't work for anyone doing aero engineering, actually
He's re-invented himself as a musician and is going to plough that furrow.
Doing something he really enjoys is more important to him than money.
And he's good.
Laugh not.
Richard

 

[arabianights]

I won't be laughing with that explanation, makes sense, just confused, 'twas all