Unions say meetings have been useful and very positive
The end to the British Airways dispute could be within sight today after the airline said it would back down on the controversial issue of “swipe cards” for ground staff at Heathrow Airport.
The Guardian reports that, with negotiations due to restart today, “both sides are cautiously optimistic that a settlement is within reach”. Following meetings between BA executives and representatives of three unions, the airline’s main negotiator Mervyn Walker told the newspaper that the meetings had been constructive and that he was pleased with the progress made.
The unions, for their part, were also more optimistic; Brendan Barber of the TUC said the meetings have been “useful and very positive”. Unions are proposing that the swipe cards will remain voluntary until negotiations have been completed.
