2nd Strike Begins at British Airways

2nd Strike Begins at British Airways
By NICOLA CLARK
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: March 27, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/business/global/28air.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1269709998-eDFVXLgFJI9JhuZrWuipJg


British Airways cabin crews began their second walkout in a week on Saturday to protest cost-cutting plans that include a wage freeze and changes to in-flight staffing levels.

As of mid-afternoon Saturday in London, 93 British Airways flights departing from Heathrow Airport near London had been canceled, according to the airline’s Web site, roughly one-third of the total. Thirty-eight arrivals were listed as canceled.

Flights in and out of Gatwick Airport and London City Airport were unaffected.

The walkout follows a three-day strike from March 20 through March 22. That walkout was called by Unite, the union representing the airline’s 13,500 cabin crew members, after the two sides had been unable to return to the bargaining table last week.

British Airways has said that it plans to fly more than 75 percent of the 240,000 passengers with tickets during the strike, which was expected to last until Tuesday. An additional 43,000 passengers have been either rebooked on other carriers or opted to fly on other dates, according to the airline.

In a statement, British Airways said 70 percent of its intercontinental flights from Heathrow would operate Saturday, up from 60 percent in the first strike period. Fifty-five percent of domestic and European flights from Britain’s largest airport would go on as scheduled, up from 30 percent during the previous walkout.

“The numbers of cabin crew reporting at Heathrow are currently at the levels we need to operate our published schedule,” the airline said.

Negotiations between Unite and British Airways management broke down in the days before the strike last weekend and have not resumed, despite repeated efforts by Brendan Barber, the leader of the Trades Union Congress, an umbrella group for Britain’s unions, to broker a dialogue.

Tensions increased this week after Willie Walsh, the chief executive of British Airways, informed striking employees that the airline was permanently revoking their free travel benefits and that their pay would be reduced for the duration of the work action.

In a letter on Thursday to striking cabin crew members, Unite’s joint leaders, Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley, called Mr. Walsh’s move “unacceptable antiunion bullying” and insisted that any resolution include the restoration of the free flights.

Unite has warned that it could call for more strikes after the Easter holiday period if a settlement is not reached by the end of next week. Pauline Doyle, a Unite spokeswoman, said union leaders would have to decide by April 8 on any further work action. British law requires a minimum of seven days’ notice for a walkout.