A British Airways cabin crew trade union won an appeal on Thursday against a court injunction brought in this week to stop a new wave of walkouts by the airline's staff. Seeking a settlement, the Unite union said BA crews would go on strike for five days from Monday unless the two sides could settle a dispute over pay as the airline tries to cut costs.
Unite said further strikes would take place for five days from May 30 and five days from June 5, should there be no peace deal. Travel through London, one of the world's busiest airline hubs, was hit by BA crew striking earlier this year, before Iceland's volcanic ash cloud caused more widespread disruption last month.
"BA management now has a chance over the next three days to address our outstanding concerns and seize the possibility for industrial peace," Unite's joint general secretary Derek Simpson said in a statement on Thursday. "Failing that, cabin crew will once more be taking industrial action with our full support." Two of the three appeal court judges ruled in favour of Unite in a knife-edge decision. One of them said a small infringement in the way the strike was balloted - the case for BA's injunction on Monday - should not invalidate the ballot.
BA, which is in the process of merging with Spanish airline Iberia, said in a statement it was "very disappointed", adding that it had a contingency plan to keep planes in the air and fly more tha 70 percent of customers. BA is trying to get a deal with Unite which will save 62.5 million pounds ($90 million) a year to counter falling demand, volatile fuel prices and greater competition.
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