LONDON – British Airways won a legal bid yesterday to block a threatened five-day strike by cabin crew members, though unions said they would immediately appeal the decision.
The first of four five-day walkouts had been due to begin at midnight, but will not now go ahead as planned.
BA’s lawyers had argued that the Unite union had broken the law on a technicality over the way it had conducted the strike ballot.
In the end, Justice McCombe granted the order against the union. He said the “balance of convenience” in his view required the granting of an injunction.
In a statement, BA said it would aim to restore a full flight slate at London’s Heathrow airport by the weekend, pending any further disruption from the volcanic ash cloud.
It had originally anticipated operating only 60 per cent of long-haul flights out of Heathrow over the strike period, and 50 per cent of short-haul flights.
BA called on Unite to “take this opportunity to pause and focus on achieving the early and peaceful end to this dispute which the travelling public and all our employees want”. The union, however, said it would appeal the decision as early as today.
The dispute with cabin crew over pay and conditions has already seen seven days of strikes in March, which cost the airline £45 million (€52.35 million).
Unite said on Sunday it had reached agreement in principle with BA over its plans to save £62.5 million (€72.1 million) a year to counter falling demand, volatile fuel prices and greater competition. Earlier, the union’s joint leader, Derek Simpson, said it was “not beyond the bounds of possibility” that a deal could be struck. – (Reuters)