TENS OF thousands of British Airways passengers face major travel difficulties over the next three days following the collapse of negotiations between the company’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, and cabin crew.
The airline, which has hired charter aircraft and trained other BA staff to act as cabin crews, pledges to carry 65 per cent of its booked passengers. Its ability to do so, however, will depend partly on how many of the 13,500 cabin crew defy the strike and turn up for work.
Speaking following the breakdown of talks, Mr Walsh, the former Aer Lingus chief executive, said cabin crew who strike will lose free travel rights on the airline for life.
Denying that he is trying to intimidate staff, Mr Walsh said: “That was an adult statement made to adult employees. We said we will not continue to provide perks to people who are prepared to inflict damage to our business.”
Senior cabin crew get one free ticket annually, subject to availability, while all cabin crew can get 90 per cent reductions on standby tickets. Married staff can take family at reduced cost, while singles can bring two friends.
Len McClusky, the Unite union’s assistant general secretary, said the threat showed that “there is no end to BA’s pettiness”. He added that it illustrated the company is “trying to inflame the situation”.
The company cut the number of cabin crew on long-haul flights from Heathrow from 15 to 14, despite opposition from workers. Gatwick-based staff, however, have already accepted the reduction.
Mr Walsh insists that BA must cut £62.5 million in staffing costs if it is to survive. The airline suffered record losses of £401 million last year and is set for a worse outcome this year.
An offer made to the cabin crew, members of the UNITE union, earlier this month was withdrawn once strike notice was issued.
Airport staff in the US, Germany and elsewhere have threatened not to service British Airways once they land, so it is far from clear how well Mr Walsh’s efforts to break the strike will succeed.
Nearly 1,500 of the cabin crew met at Sandown Races – their normal meeting point near Heathrow yesterday – for updates on the latest developments, and expressed anger towards BA management.
The BA talks breakdown was coupled with a decision by British railway workers to go on strike shortly in protest at plans by the operator of the rail system, Network Rail, to cut 1,500 staff in coming months.
Clearly concerned about the political implications of transport chaos so close to the general election, No 10 Downing Street said Prime Minister Gordon Brown believes that “the strike is in no one’s interest and will cause unacceptable inconvenience to passengers.
“He urges the strike be called off immediately. He also urges BA’s management and workforce to get together without delay to resolve what is a dispute about jobs and wages,” a spokesman said yesterday.