British Airways, Unite union to hold talks ahead of planned strike as airline heads to court

BA, union to hold talks ahead of planned strike

LONDON — A court has granted British Airways an injunction to stop a planned strike by cabin crews just hours before they were due to walk out.

The ruling by Britain’s High Court on Monday means that flights over the next few days will still be disrupted, because of contingency plans already put in place by the airline. But BA says it aims to restore a full flying program at Heathrow by the weekend.

The airline has urged the union — which can appeal the judgment — to negotiate an end to the dispute over pay and working conditions that had led to the planned 20-day walkout.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

LONDON (AP) — British Airways launched a legal bid on Monday to prevent a lengthy series of strikes by its cabin crew that would disrupt travel plans for thousands of passengers over several weeks.

The loss-making airline is asking the High Court to impose an injunction on the 20 days of walkouts due to begin on Tuesday, citing irregularities in a union ballot of workers that approved the strikes.

BA is also due to hold talks with union leaders and government officials, who are keen to broker a deal in a dispute that began over changes to pay and working conditions for cabin crew.

The stand-off has become increasingly acrimonious after the union, Unite, pushed ahead with a March strike despite a new offer from the airline.

That walkout cost the airline around 45 million pounds ($65 million) and BA retaliated by taking away staff travel perks and taking disciplinary action against some 50 workers, leading Unite to accuse airline management of intimidation.

BA told the High Court that Unite, which represents around 90 percent of BA’s 12,000 cabin crew, had not properly complied with a legal requirement to send everyone eligible to vote in the recent ballot details of the result.

The airline was successful in a similar court application in December, preventing the union from holding a planned Christmas and New Year strike.

But BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh said he was pressing ahead with contingency plans for the walkouts — scheduled for May 18-22, May 24-28, May 30-June 3 and June 5-9, falling over a British school summer vacation period, a long weekend and the run-up to the football World Cup in South Africa, which begins on June 11.

The airline has said that it plans to fly more than 70 percent of its customers over the strike period, using leased planes and crew as well as BA cabin crew who decide not to take part in the walkout and staff reassigned from other jobs at the carrier.

“I am confident that British Airways will continue to fly, as we have demonstrated before,” said Walsh. “Hopefully the vast majority of customers will be able to get away.”

Walsh added there was “absolutely no way” he would intervene in disciplinary cases that the union said were now holding up the prospect of a deal.

BA said that no staff had been suspended for going on strike. Of 27 individuals that had been investigated after allegations, mainly of bullying and intimidation, seven were dismissed for series cases of misconduct, the airline said. Another 20 had returned to work, 15 of whom received written warnings, it added.

Walsh has repeatedly warned that the disputed changes to work practices, including fewer staff on long-haul flights and a yearlong pay freeze, are necessary for BA to survive in the post-financial crisis climate.

The company has been hit hard by the downturn because of its heavy reliance on premium fare passengers on the trans-Atlantic route. As many leisure and business travelers seek lower cost options, there are fears that its core business will never fully recover.

Along with other airlines, it also booked big losses last month when an Icelandic volcano eruption caught the industry unawares, closing down European airspace for days as an ash cloud drifted across the region.