Battle continues over BA strike

Mar 16 2010

The first effects of the planned strike by British Airways cabin crew emerged as time was running out to avert the action.

The war of words between Unite and the airline in the bitter row over cost-cutting continued, while the Conservatives attacked the Prime Minister for being "in hock" to trade union backers.

Despite the deadlocked dispute, BA announced it had reached an agreement with unions over tackling its £3.7 billion pension deficit.

With a three-day strike set to go ahead from Saturday, it emerged that UK tourists risked being stranded on a Caribbean island after BA cancelled their only weekly flight home.

The flight from Turks and Caicos to London has been axed on Sunday (March 21) due to the strike, with the Sunday March 28 service also at risk if the planned second wave of strikes goes ahead.

"You would have thought this would be the last flight BA would want to axe as there is only one a week," said Nick Kidd, 51, one of the BA passengers who had been due to fly home this Sunday.

The flight - BA252 - would normally have flown from the Turks and Caicos island of Providenciales, stopping at Nassau in the Bahamas before flying to London.

BA said it had cancelled the Turks and Caicos to Nassau leg but that the plane would be flying from Nassau.

Unite's joint leaders Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson sent a letter to union members and MPs complaining that BA management had become "increasingly macho", and accusing chief executive Willie Walsh of "union busting" tactics.