Unite’s Len: Give me a call, Keith
Sunday, 02 Mar, 2011
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Cabin crew union Unite has invited British Airways chief executive Keith Williams for talks, claiming that it feels the new incumbent takes “a more positive tone” than his predecessor Willie Walsh.
The invitation came on the day some 10,000 BA cabin crew were balloted on whether to take strike action again, a move which could hit travellers over Easter.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said he would meet with Williams “any time” to discuss bringing the bitter two-year dispute between cabin crew and management to a close.
He said Unite felt Williams, “in marked contrast to his predecessor”, had begun his new post by striking an upbeat note, sending a letter to the union in which he says he wants the “angry words of the past” put behind both the carrier and the union.
Williams also talked of the “massive role” that the crew played in caring for BA customers.
Said McCluskey: “Of course, the time it has taken for the company to acknowledge its crew is concerning. When a company deems it an acceptable strategy to wage an all-out PR war against its own front line employees, the end result will always be disastrous.
“Being valued and having respect and dignity at work are what crew have been fighting for, so I am pleased at the tone of this changed approach.
"Mr Williams goes on to say that he wants the angry words of the past put behind us so that we can find a language to reflect a common purpose and indicates that he is prepared to meet to seek a successful conclusion.
"This is music to my ears because we have been seeking such a meeting for some time. I have assured him that this union, and every single one of our Unite cabin crew members, would also like nothing better than to put this dispute behind them, and not only look into the future but also to ‘seize it’, as he rightly suggests.
“However, the solution and ability to seize the opportunities before us must rest equally with the company, not just cabin crew. We remain willing, but BA must also have the ‘will’.”
He added: "The fact that this dispute has had more ballots than any other in recent memory should serve to tell the company something. Clearly something is wrong in the way that the company is being managed but also led.
"I call upon Keith Williams, the new CEO of BA to meet me and cabin crew representatives anywhere, anytime to see if we can reach agreement. As the new CEO of BA, it is he, more than any single cabin crew member, that can play the biggest part in achieving this goal.”
"We have consistently said that negotiation not litigation or intimidation is the only way to resolve this dispute.”
But McCluskey warned that Williams should not adopt the line of Walsh in terms of insisting that the airline will still run a full flight schedule if a strike does occur.
He said: “Keith restates the line that the company will run 100% of flights and any action taken will have no effect. How he can say that, I don’t know. He has no way of knowing what weird and wondrous initiatives we might take should we engage in industrial action. I’m afraid in this regard his thinking is outmoded.
"It also gives weight to those who argue that his letter to crew is disingenuous. I hope not, but we shall see.
"I will have my team ready and able to meet today. BA has my number – all they have to do is simply call me."
Dinah
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