BA cabin crew strikes back on as deal rejected

Christmas strikes are on the cards at British Airways.

Travel Insurance News - 11/11/2010

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Travellers at British Airways face ‘wildcat’ action by crew over Christmas, as well as further strikes next year. Militant cabin crew were said to have rejected the deal agreed between union chiefs and negotiators at British Airways.

Hardline leaders of the British Airline Stewards and Stewardesses’ Association, a branch of the Unite union said they would not endorse the deal, which they called ‘a step too far’. Elsewhere, there were reports of rifts in Unite that had destroyed the deal.

The peace deal, hammered out between BA CEO Willie Walsh and Tony Woodley, the joint head of Unite, would have seen an end to the increasingly-bitter dispute that has dragged on since early last year. Militant union members last night spoke of ‘mass sickies’ and ‘wildcat strikes’ coming for Christmas.

The deal still has to go to a ballot in which the 14,000 cabin crew in the Unite union will vote whether to accept it. However, the ballot will be held without any support for the deal from union branch leaders. An official strike cannot take place before January as it would take at least month to organise the ballot legally-required before strikes can be held.

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