BA pledges to keep flying during strikes

British Airways said it would keep 60 per cent of its customers flying during the looming strikes, aiming to fly about 45,000…

British Airways said it would keep 60 per cent of its customers flying during the looming strikes, aiming to fly about 45,000 passengers a day during the first three-day stoppage due to begin on Saturday.

Thousands more have been offered alternative BA flights or seats on other airlines.

Yesterday's announcement came as the bitter war of words between the carrier and union Unite increased — and the Conservatives claimed funding provided by the union to the Labour Party had harmed the government's ability to prevent the strike action.

Cabin crew are due to walk out for a second time between March 27th and March 30th, causing chaos for thousands of people heading off for the Easter holidays.

British prime minister Gordon Brown yesterday put himself at odds with Unite — one of Labour's biggest donors — after unexpectedly speaking out about the strike.

He described it as "deplorable" and "unjustified", adding: "It is not in the company's interest, it is not in the workers' interest and it is certainly not in the national interest.

"I hope that this strike will be called off."

Tory transport spokeswoman Baroness Hanham accused the government of "turning a blind eye" during recent months of industrial unrest because Labour had been funded by Unite to the tune of around "£11 million since the prime minister became leader".

Transport secretary Lord Adonis countered: "This is an industrial dispute. It is not a political dispute.

"We wish to see this dispute resolved by negotiations, not by strike action and I continue to call upon the union to lift the threat of a strike and to get back to the negotiating table."

Unite called the industrial action last week following the breakdown of talks between the union and BA over planned cost-cutting measures.

A new deal from BA to end the dispute was going to be tabled, but was withdrawn following the announcement of the strike dates.

Yesterday, BA said its chief executive, Willie Walsh, had waited at the offices of the conciliation services Acas over the weekend for talks but the union failed to turn up.

Unite vehemently denied this as "total nonsense" and said it had not been asked to attend talks.

Reacting to the publication by BA of its strike-breaking flights schedule, a Unite spokesman added: "BA should enter this schedule for the Booker Prize for fiction. It is an accomplished work of fantasy.

"If BA want peace, they need to give their employees a chance to vote on the offer they tabled only to withdraw last week. If they do that, then the way will be cleared to Unite suspending industrial action."

BA said that during the first three-day strike it will operate all longhaul flights to and from Gatwick and more than half of shorthaul flights at the airport.

All flights to and from London City airport will also be unaffected by the strike and the airline said it will operate a full schedule of longhaul services at London Gatwick, to The Maldives, Tampa, Orlando, Egypt and Caribbean destinations during the strike period. It will also operate more than half of its shorthaul network at Gatwick.

BA said it had also agreed with 40 other carriers that customers can be rebooked free of charge during the actual strike period on to their flights if they had been due to travel on a BA flight which has been cancelled.

Mr Walsh said: "We remain absolutely determined to search for a sensible settlement and our door remains open to Unite, day or night.

"It is not too late for Unite to call off this action and we will do all we can to reinstate some of the cancelled flights."

BA has opened up an extra call centre manned by staff volunteers to help customers with rebooking and refunding queries. Customers were advised to check ba.com on a regular basis to see if their flight was still operating before departing for the airport.

Unite's joint leader, Tony Woodley, urged BA to put back on the table the offer it withdrew on Friday after the union had announced the strikes.

He accused BA of wanting a "war" with the union and said withdrawing the offer was "irresponsible", adding: "Put the offer back on the table and we will look sensibly at suspending the strike and we can hopefully find a long term solution to a very difficult subject.

"At the moment British Airways does not want to negotiate — it just wants to dictate."

Mr Woodley said the strikes would be suspended if the offer was reinstated.

PA