BA cabin crew await ruling over cuts

British Airways cabin crew will hear the result of an appeal today over the airline’s cost-cutting proposals.

They took their case to the Court of Appeal after a High Court judge refused to grant them an injunction to prevent BA imposing the cuts.

Sir Christopher Holland ruled BA was entitled to reduce cabin crew complements on board its Worldwide and Eurofleet flights as these are not terms of individual cabin crew members’ contracts.

John Hendry QC, representing the cabin crews based at Heathrow, told three judges at the Court of Appeal last month that Sir Christopher had found that the level of crew numbers had a material impact on the working conditions of cabin crews and the reduction in numbers had led to “harder work and increased stress”.

The crewing levels had been agreed between BA and union Unite as the minimum required under a productivity deal, he said.

Mr Hendry said an injunction should have been granted and a future hearing set to decide on damages for the cabin crew.

The three appeal judges had reserved their ruling until today.