British Airways’ hopes of ending a year-long labor dispute with its cabin crew suffered a setback when union leadership changed its mind and decided not to recommend that members agree to a settlement.
The cabin crew union, Unite, negotiated the proposed settlement with BA in October and intended to put it to a ballot of members. However, the union’s joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, says that the original plan to recommend the offer “was reluctantly agreed at a meeting of cabin crew representatives.” This was to ensure that the offer could go out to a ballot of members, he adds.
Woodley says its cabin crew representatives now have decided against supporting a recommendation of the offer. “Accordingly, the union will no longer make such a recommendation,” he says.
The ballot has been suspended and meetings will now be held with cabin crew representatives as a matter of urgency to consider the next steps, Woodley adds.
The dispute with its cabin crew already has resulted in several disruptive strikes this year. BA had hoped that its deal with Unite would be accepted and although certain aspects met with approval, one understood to have concerned members is that all legal action relating to the dispute be abandoned.
However, BA still is pushing for the proposed settlement to be put to a ballot, saying that its cabin crew “deserve the opportunity to vote on these proposals, which address all their concerns and represent a fair resolution of this dispute.”
It adds that “the way forward is for all sections of Unite to put aside their internal divisions and allow crew to have a direct say on their own future.”
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