Unite to announce strike dates; say £10m between it and BA
11.03.10
Unite, the union representing the vast majority of British Airways' 12,000 cabin crew, plans to announce strike dates later this morning, the BBC reports. The union said yesterday that £10 million stands between the airline and itself striking a deal and averting a strike.
Unite has to give at least seven days' notice of any strike action, meaning strikes could start from Friday 19 March. It must strike before Monday 22 March for its current strike mandate to remain valid and avoid the need for another ballot. The announcement will come at a press conference at 11:00.
A spokeswoman for Unite said yesterday the £10 million difference in the cost savings its plan offers compared to the amount BA says it will make from changes already imposed could be achieved through allowing more people to shift to part-time work, but said BA was contesting the validity of the amount.
The union has pledged not to strike over Easter in the dispute over pay and staffing levels. BA said it was ‘available for talks at any time’. The airline plans to hire 23 fully-crewed planes from charter companies to help run flights from Heathrow in the event of a strike, and has been training other staff to fill in for striking cabin crew.
One estimate yesterday suggested that as many as 7000 cabin crew will not strike, and BA has said that flights from London's City airport, including long-haul services to New York, would operate normally, while 70% of cabin crew would work at Gatwick, meaning all long-haul and 50% of short-haul flights would not be affected.
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