BA flies empty jets as strike action bites
world as it grapples with the first days of a cabin crew strike that was showing no
sign of easing on Sunday night.
in hand" and help re-start talks, the airline re-instated flights to more than
20 destinations in Europe, the US, Asia and elsewhere after it said extra crew
were working despite the three-day strike that began on Saturday.
and were only being operated to get aircraft to their intended destinations abroad
so people could be brought back to London on scheduled flights.
officer, Steve Turner, speaking amid the carnival-like atmosphere at the Bedfont
football club near Heathrow, where striking crew gathered to be taken to surrounding
picket lines.
figure in the long-running dispute, and yelled "Willie, Willie, Willie. Out, out,
out" as they piled into buses for the picket lines.
including some 747 jumbo jets, but he could not say how many and did "not recognise"
the union’s figures.
board."
Martin Broughton, BA chairman, to help end the dispute before a second four-day
stoppage next Saturday.
"because Willie Walsh is doing a great job" and the entire board supported him.
the world, and 52% of staff due to work had turned up at Heathrow, where 11,500 work from, and
97% at Gatwick.
Unite said of the 2,220 crew rostered to work, only 300 were believed to have
turned up. BA is using 1,000 specially trained volunteer staff and chartered aircraft
and crew to fill the gaps.
airport, despite promises of support for Unite from unions in Europe and the US.
of its short haul flights over the first two days of the strike as part of its
contingency plans to cover the industrial action by members of the Unite union.
was just under 60%.