BA Cabin Crew Dispute

[BertiWooster]

Do you think that the real aim of Willie Walsh in this dispute is to do the equivalent of a Maggie Thatcher - and
break the union ?

[Panic Button]

It seems there is a final assembly production line in China for Airbus A320s, but that is hardly a 'jumbo'

[DrFilth]

he has worked for them for over 10 years, that is what he has been told

[Panic Button]

You are probably right.

If they can assemble complete aircraft, there's no hope for us here now.

Mind you the Japs used to make everything, and now most Japanese companies make stuff elsewhere. One day the Chinese will end up outsourcing.

[DrFilth]

when they started moving all the jobs from my plant they were going to start some up in viet nam and the chinese kicked up a stink. so they stopped the viet nam plant and moved them all into china.

[DrFilth]

even my hp sauce is made in the netherlands now, not even going to look at the bacon ?

[Panic Button]

It was on BBC News the other day that some Chinese factories are struggling to get enough workers, as they won't work for such low pay any more.

[DrFilth]

when the steel works shut down near us, chinese workers were living on the site and all the machines were stripped down and shipped back over to china for them to use.

[modeller]

Dr filth Your list is of interest especially as they are mostly low value items highly suited to a low wage developing country. You didn't include a single item in my list .
Our industry produced cars to Ocean Liners, and where are latter constructed now ?
Not in low wage China but in high wage countries like France, Italy, Germany & Finland.
We can not blame low wage economies on our industrial decline , the blame lies with our industrial relations, weak management and militant trade unions.

[modeller]

What we say about China now, cheap labour, subservient workers etc. was once said about Japan and in time China may also become a high wage society. Will that help us ? I doubt it. It made no difference when Japan changed rather the reverse .
We have changed from the extremes of the 70s but as certain European leaders say Britain is no longer an industrial society. We are largely a banking and service society.

[DrFilth]

a plant like the one i worked at will never be built again because of the cost.
the plant in Scotland will be the next one to close, why ? simple, it is cheaper to close and dump the workers on the dole here than in other european countries.
as each factory closes the workers then have to find jobs ? not everyone wants or can work in a bank etc.
just checked my panasonic stereo made in malaysia
shredder made in china

[modeller]

Dr Filth What is you solution ? Who has got it right us or the Europeans ?

Steve My orphan chimney sweeps are threatening industrial action as the electric
chimney brushes and central heating is putting their jobs at risk.

[dibble1]

The days of unions are long gone I'm afraid. Every union official I ever met used it as a stepping stone to managment and then sh#t on us. This also suited the managers as it kept the usually vocal and disruptive employee quiet. I await the outcome of this dispute eagerly as it really does seem a test case. As I said I fear the days of unions in this country are gone.

[DrFilth]

can give you one warning don't try looking for a380 wings made in china on google.
one site that i went on tried to load the security virus on my laptop.

[modeller]

dibble That was the army method promote the trouble makers. It worked in most cases .

I hope you are wrong regarding the demise of the unions . They are still needed.
Unfortunately so often they are badly led.