A planned strike by 12,000 British Airways (BA) flight attendants scheduled from March 20 could “threaten the very existence” of the United Kingdom’s largest airline, according to Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis in an interview with the BBC.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has reportedly telephoned the joint general secretary of the Unite trade union to discuss possibilities of mediation between the disputing parties.
The planned seven-day staff walk out was announced by Unite on March 12 following a breakdown of negotiations about long-running issues of pay, benefits, and staffing levels.
Willie Walsh, the chief executive officer of British Airways Plc, referred to the strikes as another “cold-blooded threat” to the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers as they ride the “worst recession for 80 years” in a statement in the Daily Mail. He accused Unite of exacerbating the burden of the airline in a video stream on the company’s Web site as they face their “most significant crises.”
“Regrettably, management turned down a remarkable offer from the union, which would have given the company everything it said it wanted while also meeting our members’ concerns,” Unite Assistant General Secretary Len McCluskey said in a statement last Friday.
The industrial action will inevitably impact on the Easter period, and family holidays are likely to be disrupted. Last Easter, almost 300,000 passengers flew from Heathrow Airport, 270,000 from the Gatwick Airport, about 200,000 from Stansted Aiport, and 200,000 from Birmingham.
It is estimated that BA would be transporting more than 500,000 across the seven days of strike action. The airline is counting on 1,000 volunteer flight attendants sourced from its non-cabin crew staff and 23 aircraft leased from other operators, already equipped with a full crew.
BA has suspended the sale of seats scheduled for the strike days, and all passengers who have already booked their travel between March 19 and 31 will have the alternative to rebook or cancel their reservations with a refund.
Hundreds of domestic and European flights will be canceled by BA in order to compensate for its lucrative long-haul journeys.
Flights from London, including long-haul services to New York, will operate normally, while 70 percent of cabin crew will work at Gatwick, meaning all long-haul and 50 percent of short-haul flights will be unaffected, BA said. According to the company’s Web site, more details are to be finalized and flight schedules are yet to be confirmed.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has reportedly telephoned the joint general secretary of the Unite trade union to discuss possibilities of mediation between the disputing parties.
The planned seven-day staff walk out was announced by Unite on March 12 following a breakdown of negotiations about long-running issues of pay, benefits, and staffing levels.
Willie Walsh, the chief executive officer of British Airways Plc, referred to the strikes as another “cold-blooded threat” to the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers as they ride the “worst recession for 80 years” in a statement in the Daily Mail. He accused Unite of exacerbating the burden of the airline in a video stream on the company’s Web site as they face their “most significant crises.”
“Regrettably, management turned down a remarkable offer from the union, which would have given the company everything it said it wanted while also meeting our members’ concerns,” Unite Assistant General Secretary Len McCluskey said in a statement last Friday.
The industrial action will inevitably impact on the Easter period, and family holidays are likely to be disrupted. Last Easter, almost 300,000 passengers flew from Heathrow Airport, 270,000 from the Gatwick Airport, about 200,000 from Stansted Aiport, and 200,000 from Birmingham.
It is estimated that BA would be transporting more than 500,000 across the seven days of strike action. The airline is counting on 1,000 volunteer flight attendants sourced from its non-cabin crew staff and 23 aircraft leased from other operators, already equipped with a full crew.
BA has suspended the sale of seats scheduled for the strike days, and all passengers who have already booked their travel between March 19 and 31 will have the alternative to rebook or cancel their reservations with a refund.
Hundreds of domestic and European flights will be canceled by BA in order to compensate for its lucrative long-haul journeys.
Flights from London, including long-haul services to New York, will operate normally, while 70 percent of cabin crew will work at Gatwick, meaning all long-haul and 50 percent of short-haul flights will be unaffected, BA said. According to the company’s Web site, more details are to be finalized and flight schedules are yet to be confirmed.
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