British Airways cabin crew will "unwillingly" accept changes to work rotas later this month, according to the airline's largest trade union, after the high court failed to grant an injunction against cost-cutting measures.
The Unite union, which represents the majority of BA's 14,000 cabin crew, said it would press ahead with a strike vote despite today's decision that the dispute must go to a full trial on 1 February next year. In the meantime, cabin crew numbers will reduce from 15 to 14 on long-haul flights from 16 November onwards.
Steve Turner, head of civil aviation at Unite, said the failure to secure an injunction would not undermine the legitimacy of a vote in favour of industrial action.
"I think the ballot will be a resounding yes vote. Unless the company comes back to the negotiating table then I think we are heading into a very serious industrial dispute."
Unite can begin strikes within a week of receiving the ballot result on 14 December, threatening a wave of crippling walkouts at Heathrow Airport just as the Christmas travel period begins.
BA, which is seeking to cut cabin crew costs by £140m per year, is adamant that the rota changes do not alter contractual terms and can be imposed without breaching individual contracts. Union sources also believe that BA is preparing to block industrial action in the courts if Unite secures a strike mandate.
A BA spokesperson said the changes were "fair and reasonable" given the airline's "urgent need" to reduce costs. BA, which lost £401m last year amid a downturn in demand for premium bookings, is expected to announce hefty losses in first half results today, with analysts predicting a pre-tax loss of £252m.
"We will go ahead with these changes on 16 November. We urge Unite to withdraw its plans for an industrial action ballot and… resume discussions with us on other ways of ensuring that British Airways gets in the right shape to ensure long-term survival ," said the BA spokesperson. BA says the rota changes are needed to accommodate 1,000 voluntary redundancies and more than 3,000 requests for part-time working.
John Hendy QC, representing Unite, warned that the new staffing levels would "materially and detrimentally affect the health and well-being of staff and passengers on board the flights". BA argued that safety would not be compromised because international regulations require a minimum of 12 staff for a Boeing 747 flight.
BA's counsel, Timothy Brennan QC, said: "The effect of the injunction, if granted, would be to require BA to operate its aircraft out of Heathrow with a number of cabin crew in excess of that which it needs or can afford, or even has the staff to provide."
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