British Airways in last ditch cabin crew strike talks

Union bosses are to hold last ditch talks with British Airways before holding another strike ballot among cabin crew.

The talks, headed by BA chief executive Willie Walsh and Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley, are expected to be held in Manchester next week alongside Trades Union Congress annual conference.

Members of BASSA, the cabin crew division of Unite, today moved a further step closer to a full strike ballot. At a mass meeting at Kempton Park racecourse they voted to mandate their officials to press Unite leaders for a ballot if further talks collapse.

Brendan Gold, Unite's national secretary for civil air transport, said a new ballot could to be taken on the imposition of changes to work practices; the sacking of 14 crew for alleged offences committed during the ongoing dispute; and the withdrawal of staff travel perks from the estimated 6,700 crew who joined 22 days of walkouts this year.

"We will inevitably have to take an industrial action ballot on these issues," said Gold.

If a strike poll is held over the next month and Unite secures a mandate for action from its 11,000 cabin crew members, the union will have a 12-week window in which to stage walkouts – opening up the possibility of disruption over Christmas.

However, BA is adamant that it will be able to operate 100% of its schedule during any strike.