BA strike "illegal" - court ruling

Chrstmas stoppage off

BA planes: stoppage ruled "illegal"

The strike of British Airways' cabin crew was today (December 17) ruled "illegal" by the High Court.

The 12-day stoppage was due start next Tuesday (December 22).

But High Court judge Mrs Justice Cox ruled that the ballot,organised by the union Unite, had not been correctly conducted.

During the hearing for BA'  application for an injunction to stop the strike, its QC, Bruce Carr, said there were "serious and substantial irregularities" in the ballot which had allowed people who had left BA to vote on strike action.

Unite had countered that it had done it utmost to ensure only current BA staff voted.

In a statement after the verdict, BA said: "We are delighted for our customers that the threat of a Christmas strike has been lifted by the court.

"It is a decision that will be welcomed by hundreds of thousands of families in the UK and around the world.

"There was never any need for a strike and we hope that Unite will take this opportunity to reflect before deciding its next steps. We believe the public would want that too.

"In recent days, we believe Unite has formed a better understanding of our position and of the ways in which we could move forward.

"It has also become very clear that our customers do not believe that old-style trade union militancy is relevant to our efforts to move British Airways back toward profitability. Financial success is essential to build the kind of business our customers want and provide long-term opportunities for our staff."

It was unclear, immediately after the court ruling, if Unite planned to appeal.

But Unite's joint general secretaries, Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley, said it was a "disgraceful day for democracy" and that the dispute was "far from settled."

In a statement, the two leaders said: "While we have never wanted this dispute, it is a disgraceful day for democracy when a court can overrule such an overwhelming decision by employees taken in a secret ballot," they said.

"The fact remains that this dispute is not settled.

"BA must accept that there can be no resolution except through negotiation, failing which there will inevitably be a further ballot for industrial action."

www.ba.com   www.unitetheunion.com