BA chiefs’ pay offer is a publicity stunt
Interesting to see British Airways bosses Willie Walsh and Keith Williams won’t be paying themselves in July.
The move comes as the carrier asks its 40,000 staff to work for free for up to a month to help plug the 401 million-pound loss it made in the last financial year.
The last time such desperate measures were called for in the UK was after 9/11, when travel companies asked staff to work a four-day week, take pay cuts or even clean the toliets themselves.
I remember a series of “Back to the floor” articles in the trade press, in which some senior executive or other showed how he (it was always a man) was prepared to roll up his sleeves for the common good.
It was all for show, of course. As soon as the photographer had finished snapping, the bigwig would head back to the office as fast as their chauffeur-driven car could carry them.
Walsh and Williams’ offer has that same PR stunt whiff about it. It brings to mind a George Bernard Shaw quote: “Self-sacrifice enables us to sacrifice other people without blushing.” I doubt the two Ws have ever blushed.
The unions have a point when they say it’s a lot easier to give up your salary for a month when it’s in six figures.
Generously, BA workers will be able to choose between one and four weeks of unpaid work and have until June 24 to volunteer. That’s six days left turkeys – vote Christmas, you know it makes sense.
By Martin Lane · June 18th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Have your say