Union conference: Strikes at BA may run into summer as cost hits £100m

Joint leader of Unite Tony Woodley said a new ballot for strikes could be only a week or so away, as union members staged the second day of a five-day walkout.

The union said the series of strikes since last March had now cost BA almost 100m, with eight further days of action planned.

Mr Woodley also revealed that the union had paid out almost 1m in strike pay, pledging that Unite would not allow the airline to "starve" staff back to work.

He told Unite's annual conference in Manchester the "hard man" stance of BA chief executive Willie Walsh will plunge the airline into a prolonged and "totally needless" summer of disruption.

A fresh ballot will be needed because the 12-week protective legal

period for taking industrial action ends in early June.

Mr Woodley said if crews were forced to seek a new mandate for industrial action the blame will lie "firmly" with Mr Walsh and his "persistent refusal" to permit a peaceful settlement.

Unite said it believed a deal on cabin crew costs had already been agreed between both parties, adding that the airline could be restored to full operation in time for the peak summer season if the outstanding row over travel concessions was resolved.

Mr Woodley told the 700 delegates: "We all know there is a deal to be struck, one that recognises the real commercial needs and problems of the company as well as our members' legitimate interests."

Scores of striking cabin crew later attended a fringe meeting at the conference, speaking out about a "climate of fear" at BA and saying they were too scared to be identified for fear of being disciplined.

"We care about BA – we don't want to see it dragged down to the level of a low-cost airline," said one stewardess.

Mr Woodley told the meeting that Unite's cabin crew branch, Bassa, was ready to recommend acceptance of a deal last Thursday aimed at resolving the dispute, claiming that Mr Walsh was not interested in reaching an agreement.

"They are trying to starve our members back to work – Mr Walsh is trying to give the impression that we will collapse."

BA said it had operated more services than planned, including the reintroduction of all of its services from Heathrow to New York's JFK airport.

Earlier, Mr Woodley blasted Labour for its record in government and said the party needed to be reclaimed for working people, pensioners and the unemployed.

"At the end of 13 years of Labour government, the right to strike is hanging by a thread – at the mercy of employers who would rather sue than settle and Tory judges who appear to think strikes are ok as long as they don't inconvenience the bosses in any way at all," he told the union conference.