Last ditch efforts to avert BA strike
Saturday, 17 May, 2010
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Last ditch efforts are being made today to avert the first in a series of fresh walk-outs by British Airways cabin crew.
BA management is due to meet representatives of the Unite union at the conciliation service ACAS and new transport secretary Philip Hammond has intervened calling for the action to be halted.
The airline is also going to the High Court in London to seek an injunction to prevent the first of four different five-day walks outs from tomorrow (Tuesday).
Hammond is due to meet both sides before talks take place at ACAS.
Responding to the ACAS invitation to attend formal talks regarding the BA cabin crew dispute, a Unite spokesperson said: “We are ready to meet with BA under any auspices to try to find a solution.”
The latest planned action follows two periods of strike action in March when BA flew 60% and 70% of passengers respectively.
The airline has pledged to run all flights from Gatwick and London City Airport as well as many short and long-haul services from Heathrow if the latest action goes ahead (see earlier TravelMole story).
Andy Cook, chief executive of industrial relations advisory firm Marshall-James, said: “This dispute just seems to keep taking twist after turn, snaking in and out of the High Court along the way.
“BA management seem resolute in their position of not giving in to the union’s campaign of industrial action and the Union and their members in cabin crew are showing no signs of softening their attitude towards reaching compromise”.
“The company has a huge problem with getting their employees amongst cabin crew to agree to the changes BA want to make and there seems to be a fundamental disconnect between the management and the staff.
“The company has a huge problem with getting their employees amongst cabin crew to agree to the changes BA want to make and there seems to be a fundamental disconnect between the management and the staff.
“This makes me think that a resolution is a very long way off, unless there is a significant shift in position from one side or the other.”
He added: “It seems ironic that the Tories are willing to step in to this dispute, given their history of conflict with trades unions in the ‘80s.
He added: “It seems ironic that the Tories are willing to step in to this dispute, given their history of conflict with trades unions in the ‘80s.
“The last Labour government resisted a direct intervention in favour of a hands-off approach.
“Unite will find any interaction with the Tories very difficult to accept and therefore I think this dispute will run and run.”
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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