ADC Setting the agenda A welcome return for a face-to face ADC conference By Martin Chalk, BALPA General Secretary ndustrial negotiations in the wake of a pandemic; how we protect our jobs in the face of climate change; and how organisational culture affects our success as a union the formal part of our Annual Delegates Conference was packed full of key issues facing BALPA. Oh, and elections, budgets and accounts, too. However, it was often the informal discussions that proved the value of our first face-to-face conference in two years. Examining the industrial agenda The pandemic has had a huge variety of effects on our membership, from some working harder in very challenging conditions, to others losing their jobs altogether. The panel discussion on industrial relations in the wake of the pandemic threw into sharp focus the need for us to be more coordinated, to learn from each other, and to support the need to pressure test the claims of the employer. I will now work closely with John Moore, Head of Industrial Relations, the NEC Industrial Relations Sub-committee members, and senior company council reps to ensure we learn the lessons of the past few years and prepare fully for the next phase in an unprecedented period for civil aviation. Organising BALPA The crisis has resulted in reps and staff working from home and meeting remotely. This has, understandably, meant more challenging crosscommittee coordination. However, in such difficult circumstances, we need to be as effective as possible at protecting the safety, value and wellbeing of our working environment. It is apparent that the structure of the core industrial relations department of BALPA is in need of a review, to ensure the efforts of hard-working staff and reps are put to the most effective use. Better coordination of councils to ensure no duplication of effort, improved support of reps to enable more efficient working, and help to ensure push back against companies that try to use BALPA reps as a pseudo management resource working smarter is the target for this review. Click for a video roundup of the ADC Looking at the green agenda Climate change and the effect of aviation is a difficult issue for our industry. On the one hand, we clearly need to do our bit to ensure we limit our effect on the climate; while, on the other, we need to ensure that the value we bring to humanity, cultural understanding, family life, business and the economy is not forgotten. Our profession is driven by data and scientific understanding we are analytical, and do not accept greenwashing of the facts. Consequently, we have a lot to offer the debate about how we retain the huge benefits to society from the democratisation of air travel while addressing and eventually eliminating the negative effects it has on the environment. Delegates heard from the BALPA Environmental Working Group Chair, Jeremy Thompson, on the current position. From the legally binding targets, including being net zero by 2050, to the benefits of altering levels at which we fly to avoid persistent cirrus forming from condensation trails and the progress in replacing fossil fuels with renewable or synthetic alternatives, BALPA will lead the debate to resolve the challenges while protecting our members employment and environment. The face-to-face ADC 2021 was well attended BALPA will lead the debate to resolve the challenges while protecting employment and the environment BALPA culture Yorkshire County Cricket Club has shown that a poor culture can have disastrous real-world consequences, and even before this very public example, BALPA had some challenges with similar issues. The conference was loud and clear that it wanted not just to avoid the potential negative results of ignoring pockets of poor behaviour, but also to gain the advantages of a positive, inclusive organisational culture. The NEC has planned more work to embed good practice across the staff, reps and membership to ensure BALPA is an association of which we are all proud to be a part. Internal business Presentations were heard on leadership and culture, as well as the green agenda In internal business, Paul Naylor and Sam Walkinshaw were confirmed by conference as our Executive President and Executive Vice-President, the accounts for the unprecedented year of 2020 were signed off, and a balanced budget for 2022 was adopted. BALPA has, in line with the fortunes of its members, seen a significant reduction in income. Nonetheless, the NEC, smaller groups of staff and dedicated reps are determined to use the people and budget we do have to ensure our work is just as effective and more efficient than in 2019.