Last-ditch talks to avert BA walkout

Frantic efforts to avert a damaging strike by British Airways cabin crew were continuing last night with time running out on breaking a deadlocked row over cost-cutting.

The airline's chief executive, Willie Walsh, and the Unite union's joint leader, Tony Woodley, spent the day locked in delicate talks at the headquarters of the TUC in London.

Mr Woodley stressed that while talks were continuing there was some hope as he again appealed to the airline to put back on the table an offer it withdrew last week.

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Thousands of BA cabin crew are due to stage a three-day strike from Saturday followed by a four-day walkout from March 27.

Union representatives spent the day on stand-by, waiting for a report back from Mr Woodley, but he remained at the TUC late into the evening.

Last night, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson urged both sides to reach a solution that would avoid strike action, which he described as "needless" and "quite disproportionate" to the issues under dispute.

He dismissed opposition claims that Unite was able to dictate Government policy because of its 11m of donations to Labour and the close links of its political director Charlie Whelan – a former spokesman for Gordon Brown – with the party.

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"I think that, given the Government's very clear position on this dispute, anyone would be able to judge that Unite or anyone working for this union is not dictating our policy," he said.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has been trying to broker a deal for the last few weeks.

The surprise last-minute talks offered a glimmer of hope that strikes could still be averted.