BRITISH AIRWAYS STRKE BAN

British Airways union to appeal strike ban

21 mins ago
Reuters Tim Castle

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The union representing British Airways cabin crew said it would go to court on Tuesday to seek to overturn a judge's last-minute ruling to block a planned strike. Skip related content
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British Airways CEO Willie Walsh arrives to speak to the media outside the ACAS offices …More Enlarge photo

The first of four five-day walkouts had been due to begin early on Tuesday but was suspended after the court decision on Monday.

BA's lawyers argued successfully that the Unite union had broken the law on a technicality over the way it had conducted the strike ballot.

Tony Woodley, joint head of the union, said the judge's ruling was "unbelievable."

He said BA had won its injunction because the union had failed to tell a small number of its 11,000 members there had been 11 spoilt ballot papers in an overwhelming vote to authorise the strikes.

"It does bring into question whether we have a right to strike in this country," he told BBC television.

"The dispute with British Airways will go on. We intend to appeal hopefully in the High Court at lunchtime today."

BA had wound down its long-haul schedules out of Britain in anticipation of a strike and said it would not be able to restore a full service at London's main airport, Heathrow, until Saturday.

The union and BA have been locked in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions that stems from the airline's plans to save 62.5 million pounds a year to counter falling demand, volatile fuel prices and greater competition.

Unite said the dispute with the airline was near a resolution.

But it said sticking points remained over around 50 staff it said had been unfairly disciplined and over the restoration of travel perks to workers who had taken part in earlier strikes.

Woodley said BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh was being "incredibly petty and vindictive" by removing for life travel concessions from staff.

Walsh, in an article in the Times newspaper, said militant cabin crew were planning a long "guerrilla campaign" to undermine the airline.

"The obstacle to the resolution of this dispute is the refusal of this small group of ... hardliners to accept that the world has changed," he wrote.

(Editing by Steve Addison)



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