Monday, November 29, 1999

BA makes last ditch attempt to avert strike

News posted by www.newsinfoline.com

British Airways goes to London's High Court on Monday in a bid to avert a strike this week by the airline's cabin crew, while the company is also due to attend talks with union leaders to stop the planned action.The British airline has applied to the court for an injunction to prevent a five-day strike due to start on Tuesday after finding what it said was an irregularity in the Unite union ballot.Cabin crew are scheduled to stage walkouts on 20 days between May 18 until June 9, threatening more misery for travellers already hit by earlier strikes and disruption to flights caused by airborne volcanic ash from Iceland.The company and officials from Unite will attend talks hosted by the mediation service Acas to search for a settlement to the long-running dispute over pay and conditions.BA has already taken successful legal action during the dispute, stopping a December strike after the High Court granted an injunction.Unite said on Sunday that it had reached agreement in principle with BA over its plans to save 62.5 million pounds ($91 million) a year to counter falling demand, volatile fuel prices and greater competition.But the union said the sticking point to a deal was the restoration of travel perks taken away from staff who went on strike in March, action which Unite described as vindictive and petty."What they should be doing is negotiating instead of going to litigation," Tony Woodley, Unite's joint leader, told BBC radio on Monday. "We have reached an agreement in principle to give this company the permanent and structural changes that I readily acknowledge this company needs."I believe we are in a position with our stewards where we could very well call off the strike but also make a recommendable settlement."New transport minister Philip Hammond is also due to meet both sides on Monday before the Acas talks."The message to BA and to the union is 'keep talking'," he told BBC radio. "Sit down, talk to each other, talk about the issues and think about the long-term interests of the UK, the UK travelling public, the employees and the airline, because actually they are all the same."BA says it expects to carry more than 70 percent of its customers, or over 60,000 passengers a day, if the strike goes ahead this week.Seven days of strikes in March cost the airline 45 million pounds.(Reporting by Michael Holden and Peter Griffiths; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

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