Airline passenger news and views

The formal statement from Unite, published today 10th May 2010 read as follows:
British Airways cabin crew are to hold a further 20 days of strike action following their overwhelming rejection of the company’s offer in a ballot last week, Unite the union announced today (Monday).
BA management failed to offer any new proposals to settle the dispute over the weekend, so crew are to take strike action on the following days: May 18-22 inclusive, May 24-28 inclusive, May 30-June 3 inclusive and June 5-9 inclusive.
Unite’s joint general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley said: “Passengers and investors alike will be dismayed that British Airways' management rejected an approach by the union over the weekend, after their offer had been comprehensively turned down by their own employees.
“Cabin crew are left with no choice but to take further strike action. There can be no industrial peace without meaningful negotiations and while management victimises trade unionists and uses disciplinary procedures in a witch-hunt.
“The seven days notice period is sufficient time for BA management to do the sensible thing and reopen meaningful negotiations.”
Unite is also intending to hold a further industrial action ballot of BA cabin crew over issues which have arisen from the company’s conduct during the dispute.

BA's first offer must be weak. Give them back their travel concessions and be done with it, the longer this goes on the more travellers will suffer.

Unite did say back in March that if BA agreed to provide these perks that the strike and problems would be over. They also said that the cost to BA of providing the perks would be small compared with the cost of the strike. Sounds like blackmail to me !!
I cannot say that I like BA or Mr Walsh but I probably like Unite and Tony Woodley even less.