Latest Travel News:

Passengers brace for BA cabin crew strike
Ferbruary 22, 2010

The union representing British Airways cabin crew yesterday lost a High Court bid to overturn a reduction in the number of staff serving passengers aboard BA aircraft. The ruling leaves both sides braced for possible strike action next month. The Unite union failed to convince Judge Sir Christopher Holland that BA’s removal last November of one cabin crew member from all flights and two from some long-haul services was in breach of staff contracts.

Unite has balloted members for industrial action because it says that the changes have been imposed on staff without consultation. The ballot closes on Monday, when the date of the first strike is expected to be given. The union must give BA one week’s notice of industrial unrest, so services could be hit from March 1. BA welcomed the High Court ruling and urged Unite to hold back from strike action. Talks between the company and the union are ongoing. However, a source close to the negotiations said that there was little sign of a breakthrough.

BA, which is expected to suffer record losses of about £600 million this year, wants to cut £140 million from its cabin crew budget every year. The company said in a statement: “We are extremely pleased with today’s High Court ruling that the modest changes we made to on board crew numbers on flights from Heathrow were reasonable, did not breach crew contracts and can remain in place.

“Unite’s central demand over the last three months has been that we reverse these changes, despite the severe financial impact this would have on the company at a time when we are facing a second year of record annual losses. “Unite’s arguments as to why the changes should be reversed have been considered in great detail by the court — and rejected. Unite brought this case to court. We believe it should reflect on the court’s decision rather than impose an unnecessary strike on the travelling public.”

It is the second time that the High Court has ruled in favour of BA during its stand-off with the union. In December Mrs Justice Laura Cox granted an emergency injunction against a 12-day strike that would have hit the travel plans of almost 1 million people over the busy Christmas holiday period.

She ruled that the union had included in a previous ballot 800 cabin crew who had already taken voluntary redundancy under BA’s cost-cutting drive. That ballot in December showed overwhelming support among BA cabin crew for strike action. It was carried by 92 per cent on a turnout of 80 per cent.

Source :- http://www.timesonline.co.uk