The Unite union hopes to start balloting British Airways cabin crew as early as this week on an offer that could finally settle its year-long dispute with the firm over changes to flight crew numbers and travel concessions.
The offer is understood to propose the restoration of travel concession rights to workers who have taken part in the series of strikes at BA. However, it will not restore the seniority scale based on length of service.
The deal will also see arbitration service ACAS take over the handling of cases where BA has disciplined cabin crew over alleged behaviour relating to the strike. ACAS’ decision would be final and the staff would be unable to appeal or seek legal help from the union.
Reports say that Bassa, Unite’s cabin crew branch, is offering the deal to crew as “probably the best that negotiation could produce at the current time” and that the only alternative is more industrial action. In line with a demand from BA chief executive Willie Walsh, Bassa is recommending that members accept the deal.
The deal would mean Unite negotiators have failed to persuade BA to restore the seniority system for travel concessions, which many cabin crew say are essential to allow them to travel by air to their work centres.
However, joint general secretary Tony Woodley insisted last week the deal was an improvement on BA’s previous offer: “The agreement on offer provides most of those sacked as a result of the dispute with the chance of getting their jobs back. And it sets a framework for removing punitive staff travel sanctions imposed on our members for taking lawful strike action to defend their jobs.”
Meanwhile, Unite suffered a blow after the Court of Appeal upheld BA’s decision to reduce crew on long-haul flights. Despite the numbers having been agreed in collective bargaining, Lady Justice Smith said the impact was “not serious”. BA said it showed they hadn’t breached staff contracts.
