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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| BA goes to court in strike battle | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| British Airways will launch a legal bid later to try to stop a 12-day Christmas strike by cabin crew going ahead. | British Airways will launch a legal bid later to try to stop a 12-day Christmas strike by cabin crew going ahead. |
| BA said the move was aimed at avoiding "massive stress and disruption" for passengers threatened by the walkout from 22 December to 2 January. | BA said the move was aimed at avoiding "massive stress and disruption" for passengers threatened by the walkout from 22 December to 2 January. |
| The airline will claim in London's High Court a strike ballot by the Unite union was invalid because it involved members no longer employed by BA. | The airline will claim in London's High Court a strike ballot by the Unite union was invalid because it involved members no longer employed by BA. |
| The union accused BA's management of preferring "litigation to negotiation". | The union accused BA's management of preferring "litigation to negotiation". |
| 'Appalling and unjustified' | 'Appalling and unjustified' |
| The airline claims Unite is in "clear breach" of the 1992 Trade Union and Labour Relations Act. | The airline claims Unite is in "clear breach" of the 1992 Trade Union and Labour Relations Act. |
| Meanwhile BA has been establishing which staff would continue to work should it fail to get the strike halted through legal action. | Meanwhile BA has been establishing which staff would continue to work should it fail to get the strike halted through legal action. |
| YouTube footage shows Unite members celebrating BA strike ballot result. Captions not added by BBC. | YouTube footage shows Unite members celebrating BA strike ballot result. Captions not added by BBC. |
| The airline's chief executive Willie Walsh said: "We are absolutely determined to do whatever we can to protect our customers from this appalling, unjustified decision from Unite. We do not want to see a million Christmases ruined. | The airline's chief executive Willie Walsh said: "We are absolutely determined to do whatever we can to protect our customers from this appalling, unjustified decision from Unite. We do not want to see a million Christmases ruined. |
| "Unite was told about the problems with its ballot on Friday. Yet it cynically went ahead with an extreme, highly-publicised threat to our customers and our business in the knowledge that it might not be able to carry it out. | "Unite was told about the problems with its ballot on Friday. Yet it cynically went ahead with an extreme, highly-publicised threat to our customers and our business in the knowledge that it might not be able to carry it out. |
| "We remain available for talks with Unite at any time without preconditions." | "We remain available for talks with Unite at any time without preconditions." |
| 'Macho management' | 'Macho management' |
| Unite announced a 92% vote in favour of strike action in a ballot with an 80% turnout of the union's 12,500 cabin crew members. | Unite announced a 92% vote in favour of strike action in a ballot with an 80% turnout of the union's 12,500 cabin crew members. |
| "Christmas travel on British Airways is being held hostage by a macho management which prefers imposition and confrontation, or even litigation, to negotiation," said Unite joint general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley. | "Christmas travel on British Airways is being held hostage by a macho management which prefers imposition and confrontation, or even litigation, to negotiation," said Unite joint general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley. |
| "Last Friday we offered to suspend any industrial action and declare a pause for peace if the company would only agree to suspend its imposition of new terms and conditions on cabin crew. | "Last Friday we offered to suspend any industrial action and declare a pause for peace if the company would only agree to suspend its imposition of new terms and conditions on cabin crew. |
| "Willie Walsh turned this offer down flat. Confrontation, not negotiation, is his approach, even though an industrial dispute will cost the company vastly more money than his projected savings from attacking cabin crew conditions." | "Willie Walsh turned this offer down flat. Confrontation, not negotiation, is his approach, even though an industrial dispute will cost the company vastly more money than his projected savings from attacking cabin crew conditions." |
| At the centre of the dispute is BA's decision to reduce cabin crew numbers and introduce a pay freeze. | At the centre of the dispute is BA's decision to reduce cabin crew numbers and introduce a pay freeze. |
| The union says this will hit passengers as well as its members, but the airline insists it must cut costs to ease its dire financial position. | The union says this will hit passengers as well as its members, but the airline insists it must cut costs to ease its dire financial position. |
| About a million BA passengers are expected to be affected by the strike if it goes ahead. | About a million BA passengers are expected to be affected by the strike if it goes ahead. |
| Are you hoping to fly back to the UK for Christmas? Or do you have plans abroad for the holiday? | |
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