Unite Union and British Airways To Resume Talks

According to a recent report published on Bloomberg, British Airways cabin crew union has stepped forward to resume talks with the airline to resolve a 22-month pay and staffing dispute for a ballot on strike action in the New Year. Currently, ‘Unite Union represents 11,000 flight attendants.

Here, it’s important to remember that Iberia and British Airways merger is going to prove ‘positive’ for any future strike calls by BA cabin crew as collectively both Iberia and British Airways total fleet size, number of employs and resources can save any of the two airlines from facing a ‘hard time’.

The British Airways Cabin crew also stated that negotiations should take place this week under the patronage of Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Britain’s state-funded organization). In a telephone interview to Bloomberg, Tony Woodley, general secretary of the United Union stated:

“It’s right and proper that we get together and try and solve what is one of the most difficult disputes for many a year”.

British Airways was forced to survive on a ‘skeleton staff’ during the first Union Strike during a busy flight season. Although the airline managed to come up with the contingency plan, the measurement of damages to the reputation of this highly reputed carrier was far from calculable. While the airline and Union have reached a broad agreement on former disputes, the recent dispute over treatment of striking workers, including the restoration of full travel benefits suspended until 2013 and binding arbitration on the disciplinary case, are still unsettled.

British Airways is a highly demanded carrier in UK that provides direct flights to Accra, Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, Bangkok, Beijing, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and various worldwide holiday and travel destinations.