BEA PUT TO FLIGHT
Lord Douglas of Kirtleside and Mr. Peter. Masefield ought to be feeling thoroughly ashamed of themselves at the final out- come of the Peters affair—if it really is the final outcome. Their original action in dismissing him may have been unwise, but it was firm; their subsequent withdrawals to a series of un- prepared positions, all indefensible, have been weak-kneed, provoking the ridicule of both Left and Right. The Daily Mail suggests that 'the moral of this ridiculous episode is that former service chiefs are not necessarily the best managers of cor- porations.' With that view there will be general agreement: but in justice to the others it should be said that Lord Douglas was not conspicuous for his tact in handling men even in his service days. Mr. Masefield, to judge by his notion of exhorting the BEA workers by a homily relayed over the London Airport loudspeaker system, is also deficient in that quality. The real lesson of the Peters affair is that good labour relations are not achieved merely by mutual back-slapping and back- scratching by executives and trade union officials. The unhappy state of BEA labour relations has long been the subject of air- line gossip; and it is sufficient condemnation, both of the BEA executive, and of the union officials, that they appear to have been unaware of its existence, and hurt at its manifestation.
Previous page
