Unite announced yesterday that it would undertake a fresh ballot of its 12,000 BA cabin crew members, after its latest talks with the airline about changes to their working conditions broke down without resolution.
In a ballot last month, cabin crew voted 92% in favour of strike action, but it was subsequently ruled illegal by the High Court, which upheld BA’s claim that the union had counted votes from staff who had left the airline.
Unite said Monday it had decided to ‘honour our commitment to give our members the voice they were denied by the courts before Christmas, and hold a fresh ballot for industrial action’.
If crew vote to strike in the latest ballot, which opens on 25 January, it could result in disruption to Easter flights.
BA said it was ‘saddened but not surprised’ about the new ballot and pledged not to let the union ‘ruin’ the airline.
Chief executive, Willie Walsh, has emailed all staff ‘asking for volunteers to back BA by training to work alongside cabin crew who choose not to support a strike, so we are ready to keep our customers flying as much as we possibly can if this strike goes ahead’.
Unite joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, attacked the move, saying: ‘This is a provocative attempt by BA to disrupt negotiations.
‘It is inconceivable that BA should even be thinking of running its airline – the national carrier – with scab labour who have had only minimum training.
‘This shows contempt for professionalism of cabin crew.’
Unite insisted it was ‘prepared to meet any place, any time, to try to reach an agreement’, adding that it hoped BA would ‘make the best use of the time available before the ballot closes’ on 22 February.
Background from e-tid.com:
BA wins strike reprieve...for now (18/12/2009)
BA condemns ‘cynical’ union decision (15/12/2009)
BA crew to vote on strike action (26/10/2009)