Vintage Wine Going Down The Drain

Flight Attendants belonging to the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association (BASSA)are expressing their displeasure with management by pouring vintage wine down the sinks after flights, a measure they call "passive resistance."

The Association, a branch of the Unite union which represents some 13,000 British Airways flight attendants, was prevented from staging a labor action over the Christmas holidays. The union had proposed a 12 day walkout, but BA management won an injunction against the union to stop it. British Airways recently introduced new working practices aimed at saving $226 million annually.

An unnamed BASSA member told the London Telegraph union members are "furious."  "(W)e used to keep unfinished bottles of wine in first-class to save money, now they're routinely poured down the sink," one said. "No on is doing anything to save costs any more."

BASSA also accuses BA management of intimidation, saying that the airline had threatened legal action after the union told members to be aware of what duties they could to be asked to perform under the terms of the old contract.

A British Airways spokesman acknowledged that the negotiations are "difficult," but " We remain focused on the continuing talks with Unite."  Unite is planning a new strike ballot on January 22nd.

FMI: www.unitetheunion.com, www.ba.com