Walsh will not let union ‘ruin BA’
14.03.10
British Airways will not ground its fleet because of strike threats and the Unite union will not be allowed to ‘ruin’ the airline, Chief Executive Willie Walsh wrote in the Daily Mail yesterday. Unite, the union that represents the vast majority of BA's 12,000 cabin crew, is seeking to improve an already fair package amid the worst recession for 80 years, he wrote, adding that the airline’s revenue will be down £1 billion this year, so cutting costs is a necessity to build a sustainable airline.
British Airways cabin crew will hold a three day strike starting March 20 followed by a four day walkout from March 27. Mr Walsh, the chief executive of BA, described the move as ‘another cold-blooded threat’ to the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The airline responded to the stike by withdrawing an offer put to Unite on March 11, saying the cost of preparing for a strike means the savings are no longer sufficient.
A Unite spokesman said: ‘BA’s managers must pause and think hard about what they risk losing if they continue with this needless war against its own workforce, adding that Mr Walsh should ‘to put yesterday’s offer back on the table’ and trust the airline’s workers ‘to make the correct decision on their futures and bring stability back to this airline.'
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