Airline union Unite has abandoned plans to ballot members on a British Airways peace deal.
The union had previously said that “technically” it supported a new olive branch handed to it by BA management which included an offer for 16 sacked strikers to use conciliation service Acas.
But furious opposition from Unite cabin crew branch BASSA has changed the mind of Unite joint leader Tony Woodley.
BASSA’s primary objection is the clause in the offer which stipulates that all legal action pending or in the future pertaining to the strikes and BA’s handling of them should be dropped by staff.
Woodley said there was no point in offering the deal to members "over the heads of unwilling representatives".
He said: “Under these circumstances I have suspended the ballot on the offer and will meet with all of our cabin crew representatives as a matter of urgency to consider the next steps."
BA management has been at war with cabin crew for a year now at great cost to the airline, both financially and to its brand. So far there have been 22 days of strike action at a cost of around £150m to the carrier.
A BA spokeswoman said: "We believe that British Airways cabin crew deserve the opportunity to vote on these proposals, which address all their concerns and represent a fair resolution of this dispute. The way forward is for all sections of Unite to put aside their internal divisions and allow crew to have a direct say on their own future."
by Dinah Hatch
