1000 cabin crew trained staff and rented planes will help BA operate during strike
04.03.10
British Airways said yesterday that 1,000 staff have volunteered - and trained - to work as cabin crew to help it continue to operate flights if a threatened strike goes ahead, while 6,000 staff had offered to help in other areas, such as handing out advice at airports. It will also hire up to 23 fully crewed planes from a charter company to help run flights from Heathrow in the event of industrial action by its 12,000 cabin crew.
During an internal briefing for staff, BA chief executive Willie Walsh said that he would not reverse cabin crew cuts on long haul flights from Heathrow. The changes were imposed in November without agreement, which triggered the strike threat. He said in his address that BA management and union representatives had had only two hours of talks in the past two weeks, which Unite dismissed as ‘utter nonsense’.
BA says the volunteers and leased planes will enable it to operate all flights from London City Airport - which are not strictly affected by the dispute anyway - and all long-haul services from Gatwick. A ‘substantial number’ of long- and short-haul flights from Heathrow would still operate.
No strike date has been announced as the airline and workers are still negotiating.
The Unite union said the comments by Mr Walsh were a further example of an ‘inflammatory and confrontational stance at a time when we are engaged in meaningful talks with the company. Any suggestion that we have had only two hours talks in two weeks is utter nonsense.’
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