BA Dispute - Brian Boyd National Officer says: Ultimatum puts our members' jobs and livelihoods under serious attack"

Unite urges BA to step back from the brink

Unite, has denounced the airline's attempt to impose significant contractural changes on its 14,000 cabin crew employees, and introduce a second tier workforce on poorer pay and conditions.

BA has told cabin crew that they must accept these impositions by November 16th or leave the company.

Unite has said that the airline must remove the imposed changes and resume talks or risk a serious, drawn out confrontation with its workforce.

A fuller statement on Unite's next steps will be issued later this week.

Brian Boyd, Unite national officer added: "BA's ultimatum puts our members' jobs and livelihoods under serious attack, and further damages the reputation of our national carrier.

"Unite and its cabin crew members have said all along that we wanted to negotiate a shared solution to the short-term financial problems facing BA. Earlier this year, Unite tabled changes amounting to £140 million in savings for the business. These could have been banked months ago, putting cash into the business while retaining the airline's integrity and sustaining good industrial relations.

"These were dismissed out of hand by BA's management and now it is clear why. Sadly, the company is not interested in compromise, preferring conflict with its workforce."

Unite believes the new contractural changes are an attempt to force staff to pay the price for management failings with the company wringing more and more out of fewer and fewer staff who will be paid less. Working hours will be extended, crew levels will be slashed, career opportunities will disappear and new starters will be brought in on bargain basement wages. Unite says this will inevitably damage customer service and hit the brand, possibly leaving it beyond repair.