BA to face Unite in court this week over ‘forced changes’
30.01.10
British Airways faces the Unite union in the High Court on Tuesday, the latest part of its dispute with cabin crew to be decided by the courts. Unite has taken BA to court claiming it broke staff contracts when it imposed new working arrangements from last November that included cutting cabin crew from 15 to 14 on long-haul flights.
The changes were designed to save £140m annually and allow 1,000 crew to take voluntary redundancy. The union is currently holding a strike ballot of its 12,000 BA cabin crew members, after its first ballot - and planned 12 day Christmas strike - was blocked by BA via the courts.
BA says that the changes did not 'alter contractual terms and conditions for individual crew members', pointing out that it only introduced the changes after almost a year of fruitless talks with the unions. Unite claims that BA forced through the changes, and that such an imposition represents a slippery slope for further enforced changes to working practices.
To book heathrow airport hotel or heathrow airport car park at the lowest price, click on these links to two great heathrow airport car parking and heathrow airport hotel price comparison page