BA action delayed as new court date set

BRITISH Airways cabin crew have reluctantly agreed to work controversial new schedules, but a strike ballot of union members will go ahead.

Yesterday, staff said they would "unwillingly" work new schedules until a full court hearing next year. In out-of-court discussions after legal submissions from counsel for Unite, the workers' union, the two sides agreed to return to court on 1 February.

However, Steve Turner, head of civil aviation at Unite, said later that the union would be pressing ahead with a ballot for strikes and other forms of industrial action, with the result due on 14 December.

"We are very confident that the new contracts are unlawful, and we will be seeking damages for all of those working on crews which have had their numbers cut from 16 November," he said.

The scheduled February hearing will resolve whether there should be a permanent injunction preventing BA imposing the cost-cutting proposals.

BA says it is entitled to reduce cabin crew complements unilaterally on its Worldwide and Eurofleet flights, but Unite claims that would be a breach of the staff's collectively agreed contracts.