BA Faces 20 Days Of Strikes; Further Action Possible
After a contract proposal and an offer to return to the bargaining table were both rejected by management at British Airways, cabin crew members represented by Unite voted over the weekend to approve a 20-day strike. The strike days will take place May 18 to May 22, May 24 to May 28, May 30 to June 3 and June 5 to June 9. The airline maintains that a number of working changes discussed over the last year of negotiations are necessary for the health of the airline; changes including a two-year pay freeze, and a reduction in numbers of cabin crew per flight. In turn, the union has condemned the conduct of the airline in negotiations, calling the process a 'witch-hunt' for union members, while management criticizes union members for 'operating in their own world,' without regard for anyone else. The union hopes to see a return to negotiations in the days before the strike, but warn that without progress, further industrial action might be taken.
See "BA Faces 20 Days Of Strikes; Further Action Possible", Kaveri Niththyananthan, The Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2010