ATW Daily News
BA sets strike schedule as government weighs in
Tuesday March 16, 2010
British Airways intends to serve 60% of its scheduled passengers March 20-22, or about 45,000 per day, when flight attendants represented by Unite are scheduled to stage the first of two strikes this month.
In addition, the airline said it will offer seats to "many thousands more customers" on alternative flights or on services operated by 40 other carriers to which passengers can be rebooked free of charge during the strike. Unite also plans to strike March 27-30 (ATWOnline, March 15).
"Despite the desire of Unite's leadership to ground the airline, the flag will continue to fly," BA CEO Willie Walsh claimed, adding that "due to the numbers of cabin crew who have called in to offer their services over the weekend, the schedule will be slightly larger than we had originally anticipated." He said BA remains "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."
The carrier said it will operate all long-haul flights and more than half of its short-haul schedule at London Gatwick and all flights at London City. At Heathrow, it will continue to operate more than 60% of its long-haul schedule and around 30% of its short-haul flights thanks mainly to 22 aircraft wet-leased from eight carriers in the UK and Europe. Flights operated by its OpenSkies subsidiary between Paris Orly and Newark, as well as flights operated by its franchise partners and all freighter services, will run as normal.
Unite released a statement yesterday calling BA's plan "an accomplished work of fantasy."
BA said that at this stage the "vast majority" of flights scheduled for March 23-31 remain in the schedule. A plan for March 27-30 will be released after the first strike concludes.
UK politicians have weighed in over the past two days in an effort to pressure the sides to reach a deal. "It's the wrong time. It's unjustified. It's deplorable. We should not have a strike," Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the BBC. "It's not in the company's interest, it's not in the workers' interest and it's certainly not in the national interest." He reportedly called Unite Joint General Secretary Tony Woodley over the weekend to discuss potential solutions.
Secretary of State for Transport Andrew Adonis told the BBC, "I call on [BA and Unite] to engage in those negotiations and to put the public first and to put the company first, and not to take action which not only would be deeply damaging to the economy and to the public, but which could threaten the very jobs of their members which they're seeking to protect." He said the strike was "totally unjustified."
Unite responded that Adonis "appears badly informed" and that BA had withdrawn its final offer Friday before union management could forward it to membership. Regarding Brown's comments, Woodley said: "I don't blame the prime minister for trying to help bring together parties to resolve the dispute. But it is rather unfortunate that politicians of all parties always want to kick the unions and kick the employees when in actual fact it's my members who've been kicked here."
In addition, the airline said it will offer seats to "many thousands more customers" on alternative flights or on services operated by 40 other carriers to which passengers can be rebooked free of charge during the strike. Unite also plans to strike March 27-30 (ATWOnline, March 15).
"Despite the desire of Unite's leadership to ground the airline, the flag will continue to fly," BA CEO Willie Walsh claimed, adding that "due to the numbers of cabin crew who have called in to offer their services over the weekend, the schedule will be slightly larger than we had originally anticipated." He said BA remains "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."
The carrier said it will operate all long-haul flights and more than half of its short-haul schedule at London Gatwick and all flights at London City. At Heathrow, it will continue to operate more than 60% of its long-haul schedule and around 30% of its short-haul flights thanks mainly to 22 aircraft wet-leased from eight carriers in the UK and Europe. Flights operated by its OpenSkies subsidiary between Paris Orly and Newark, as well as flights operated by its franchise partners and all freighter services, will run as normal.
Unite released a statement yesterday calling BA's plan "an accomplished work of fantasy."
BA said that at this stage the "vast majority" of flights scheduled for March 23-31 remain in the schedule. A plan for March 27-30 will be released after the first strike concludes.
UK politicians have weighed in over the past two days in an effort to pressure the sides to reach a deal. "It's the wrong time. It's unjustified. It's deplorable. We should not have a strike," Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the BBC. "It's not in the company's interest, it's not in the workers' interest and it's certainly not in the national interest." He reportedly called Unite Joint General Secretary Tony Woodley over the weekend to discuss potential solutions.
Secretary of State for Transport Andrew Adonis told the BBC, "I call on [BA and Unite] to engage in those negotiations and to put the public first and to put the company first, and not to take action which not only would be deeply damaging to the economy and to the public, but which could threaten the very jobs of their members which they're seeking to protect." He said the strike was "totally unjustified."
Unite responded that Adonis "appears badly informed" and that BA had withdrawn its final offer Friday before union management could forward it to membership. Regarding Brown's comments, Woodley said: "I don't blame the prime minister for trying to help bring together parties to resolve the dispute. But it is rather unfortunate that politicians of all parties always want to kick the unions and kick the employees when in actual fact it's my members who've been kicked here."
by Cathy Buyck and Brian Straus
