Brown attack puts pressure on BA strikers

PRESSURE on British Airways cabin crew to call off a series of strikes intensified last night after the Prime Minister said the action was “unjustified” and “deplorable”.

The airline also announced plans yesterday to keep 60% of its customers flying if the stoppages go ahead. A bitter war of words between the airline and Unite increased – with BA claiming chief executive Willie Walsh had waited at the offices of the conciliation services Acas over the weekend for talks but the union failed to turn up.

Unite denied this as “total nonsense” and said it had not been asked to attend talks. Gordon Brown unexpectedly spoke out, calling on Unite to call off its three-day strike due to start on Saturday as well as a four-day walkout from the following weekend.

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said the industrial action could put the future of the airline at risk, calling the walk-outs “totally unjustified”. The dispute has embroiled the Government in an extraordinary row with the country’s biggest union Unite – one of Labour’s biggest donors.

Asked in a BBC interview whether Adonis was right, Brown said: “I agree. It is the wrong time, it is unjustified, it is deplorable, we shouldn’t have a strike... I hope that this strike will be called off.” BA said it planned to keep 60% of its customers flying if the strike goes ahead this weekend.

Walsh said: “We are deeply sorry our customers are the innocent victims of this cynical attack on their travel plans by the leaders of Unite.” Unite’s joint leader Tony Woodley urged BA to put back on the table an offer it withdrew on Friday after the union had announced the strikes. The offer included working hours commitments and annual pay rises in exchange for the cabin crew workers agreeing to BA’s planned £62.5 million (€69m) cost cuts.

He accused BA of wanting a “war” with the union and said withdrawing the offer was “irresponsible”.