BA strike off – for now
Thursday, 18 Dec, 2009
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British Airways has won a High Court injunction to lift the threat of a 12-day cabin crew strike.
The court ruled that the planned industrial action was unlawful because the union had not balloted its members correctly.
But the Unite union did not rule out possible future strike action and a possible appeal against the court ruling.
There was also a prospect of a second ballot of cabin crew in the new year if a negotiated settlement was not reached by the airline.
BA said: “We are delighted for our customers that the threat of a Christmas strike has been lifted by the court.
“It is a decision that will be welcomed by hundreds of thousands of families in the UK and around the world.”
The carrier added that there was never any need for a strike, which was due to start on December 22.
BA said it hoped the union Unite “will take this opportunity to reflect before deciding its next steps. We believe the public would want that too”.
The airline added: “In recent days, we believe Unite has formed a better understanding of our position and of the ways in which we could move forward.
“It has also become very clear that our customers do not believe that old-style trade union militancy is relevant to our efforts to move British Airways back toward profitability.
“Financial success is essential to build the kind of business our customers want and provide
long-term opportunities for our staff.”
Bob Atkinson from travelsupermarket.com reacted by saying: “Unite should now call off this disproportionately extreme 12 day strike and staff should commit to work as normal so that the one million passengers booked with the airline can breathe a sigh of relief and carry on with their travel plans this Christmas and New Year.
“BA should now contact customers as soon as possible to confirm flights will be going ahead and normality has returned to the market.
“The threat of strike action has been hugely damaging for the British Airways brand and customer loyalty has been tested.
“Although the airline is highly likely to try and attract customers with low priced flights in the coming weeks, the level of great uncertainty around possible future strikes will see customers deserting the airline in droves, as they book with rival carriers offering equally great levels of service at competitive prices.
“The underlying issue here between the British Airways management, the cabin crew and their union Unite centres on cost reductions and productivity, something that every other worker in the UK has been forced to deal with in order to ensure their jobs and livelihoods are protected.
“The union, the cabin crew and BA must resolve the situation through negotiation and all parties need to recognise the depth of feeling that the travelling public has over the way they have been treated by Unite in this last week. Upset your customers and you face an uphill struggle to win them back.”
Rochelle Turner, head of research forWhich? Holiday, said: “This is great news for anyone planning to fly with BA this Christmas, providing the union accepts this decision and calls off the strikes.
“However, if BA staff choose to strike regardless of the High Court’s ruling, those planning a Christmas getaway or a trip home to see relatives face days of delays and cancellations, and the real possibility of not getting to their destinations.”
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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