Unite to BA: negotiate and we will stop strike
Updated on 16 December 2009
Ahead of a new round of talks, Unite's Tony Woodley says strike action will be called off if BA agrees to negotiate changes to cabin crew conditions.
BA management have agreed to meet leaders of the union representing 12,500 cabin crew workers, as one union boss says that the planned strike may be excessively long
Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Unite union, Derek Simpson, admitted on GMTV that the proposed 12-day strike was "unusual" and "probably over the top".
Mr Simpson told GMTV's John Stapleton that the strike was "probably over the top".
He told GMTV that the union's negotiating team had decided a 12-day strike was the "appropriate reaction" but added that the length of the industrial action was "unusual".
"It was the decision of the negotiating team in BA. That's their judgment of what's needed to bring sense to this.
"It's probably over the top," he said.
Mr Simpson added: "What I would urge people to do is get on to BA and tell them - 'negotiate'."
BA is aiming to prevent the strike by taking legal action. It has written to the union highlighting "irregularities" in its strike ballot, which the company believes renders the ballot invalid.
That case will be heard in the High Court in London and involves a claim that Unite balloted members no longer employed by the airline, which managers believe constituted a "clear breach" of the 1992 Trade Union and Labour Relations Act.
BA said its letter to Unite pointing out the balloting "flaws" was the third it had sent the union since last Friday.
The airline said the union did not reply to the first two letters.
In an interview with Channel 4 News, Unite's joint-leader Tony Woodley promised the strike will be called off if British Airways suspends its plans to change the cabin crew's conditions and agrees to negotiate them instead.
Mr Woodley said: "Suspend your action, which has caused so much anger among good people and the strike will be off."
As a back-up to the legal action, BA said its managers have been establishing which cabin crew were willing to work normally during the strike period.
Chief executive Willie Walsh said: "We are absolutely determined to do whatever we can to protect our customers from this appalling, unjustified decision from Unite. We do not want to see a million Christmases ruined.
"Unite was told about the problems with its ballot on Friday. Yet it cynically went ahead with an extreme, highly-publicised threat to our customers and our business in the knowledge that it might not be able to carry it out.
"We remain available for talks with Unite at any time without preconditions."
