The trade union Unite has revealed it plans to hold a second vote on strike action by its members at British Airways over changes in cabin crew working conditions and staffing levels. BA has justified the proposed measures as a response to losses in excess of £400m which it posted last year. The Union had planned a 12 day strike over Christmas 2009, but this action was prevented by a High Court injunction relating to voting irregularities in the original ballot. Despite the setback in the first vote, it is by no means certain that industrial action will be approved again this time as some union members claimed to have been misled over the timing and duration of the Christmas walkout.
Any future strike would not be able to take place until March 2010, with some predicting that action could even be delayed until Easter to ensure it has the maximum impact on the travelling public. BA is said to be investigating a variety of measures to mitigate against a ‘yes’ vote, including training existing staff to work as cabin crew.
Source: bbc.co.uk/18.01.10