Union announces dates for BA cabin crew strikes this month
Union announces dates for BA cabin crew strikes this month
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Friday, 12, Mar 2010 11:12
By Sarah Garrod.
The union Unite has announced that its British Airways (BA) cabin crew members will strike from March 20th for three days and then for four days from March 27th.
The decision follows a long-running dispute with the airline to settle cabin crew concerns over changes to pay, conditions and job losses.
Unite assistant general secretary and lead negotiator with British Airways Len McCluskey said today: "Regrettably, [BA] management turned down a remarkable offer from the union which would have given the company everything it said it wanted while also meeting our members' concerns.
"The company contests our calculations, but quibbles over the precise costing of our concessions pale into insignificance compared to the losses that BA will sustain in the event of an industrial dispute.
"However, despite spurning this proposal, British Airways management finally submitted a formal offer of its own to Unite yesterday. It is welcome that the company acknowledges that negotiated agreement, not imposition, is the only way to conduct mature industrial relations at BA.
"It is right that cabin crew should be given the opportunity to consider this offer, although it falls short of what we believe is needed to address the legitimate concerns they have about crew complement and service delivery."
Cabin crew members represented by the union are angry with cost-cutting decisions made by the airline last year over pay, job losses and changes to their working conditions. Talks between BA and Unite have broken down without agreement this week.
Some 81 per cent of balloted members voted 'yes' for strike action.
Mr McCluskey added: "Strikes are planned for March 20, 21 and 22 and further on March 27, 28, 29 and 30. There will be no strikes over the Easter period, as we already promised, but further industrial action will be called to take place after April 14 if the dispute has not been resolved."
The dispute began last November, and subsequent planned strikes over Christmas were prevented when BA gained a high court injunction ruling that the union's ballot for strike action was invalid.
British Airways said in a statement following the announcement: "We are extremely disappointed that Unite, the union that represents the majority of British Airways (BA) cabin crew, has announced that it intends to take strike action.
"We are very sorry for the stress and disruption Unite's decision will cause.
"We are currently considering our response to this strike threat and what action we will need to take to minimise disruption.
"All our flights are operating normally at the moment."
Before the strike dates were announced today, chief executive of BA Willie Walsh said: "A strike will not ground British Airways, we have had nearly 6,000 volunteers to support our flying programme, including nearly 1,000 who have trained as cabin crew and the number is growing.
"We have been putting plans into place and although we cannot announce the precise schedule we will operate until we know for sure what Unite would do, I can tell you what our plans are."
The airline also said that it would still be able to operate all flights from London City airport, including long-haul services to New York, all our long-haul flights at London Gatwick, and about half of all short-haul flights, and at London Heathrow, it will operate a "substantial proportion" of long-haul flights and a good number of short-haul flights, assisted by chartered aircraft with crews from a number of UK and European-based airlines.
The airline also announced it had arranged to secure seats from other carriers, and that passengers will be able to rebook, free of charge and subject to availability, onto other British Airways flights outside of the strike period for up to 355 days from the original date of travel.
Refunds will only be available if flights are actually cancelled or if the original booking conditions allow.