Beginning of the strike at British Airways
This is the first known strike British Airways for 13 years. Its cabin began Saturday a strike should significantly disrupt air travel in the United Kingdom during the next three days, after the failure on the eve of negotiations between the company and the union Unite. Approximately 1100 of 1950 BA flights planned over the three days will be canceled. British Airways hopes anyway, filling its planes at best, Saturday and Sunday carried 49,000 passengers on 75,000 for a regular weekend of March, up 65%.
Thousands of members of Unite, the first British trade union, launched the movement to midnight Friday, hours after a failed final attempt to reconcile the co-general secretary Tony Woodley of Unite and the Director General Company Willie Walsh.The conflict includes the company's decision to abolish the post of cabin crew on fifteen on the long-haul flights, and wage claims of employees. Unite has rejected a deal of 4 years, he said, returning to freeze wages until 2014.
At Heathrow, the world's first airport for international traffic, over 60% of long-haul but only 30% of short-and medium-haul should be provided on three days. At Gatwick, London's other airport, the traffic would be normal for the long haul, and operate at 50% for short and medium haul. Picket lines were in place Saturday morning in many UK airports.
The movement would resume next Saturday
Unite represents 12,000 members of cabin crew for British Airways instant payday loan .According to the union, early indications seemed to show that the movement was widely followed, although the direction of BA had threatened the strikers they remove a number of benefits gained.
British Airways seems better prepared than during the conflict in January 2007, when the strike had been canceled at the last minute. She claims to have found a thousand volunteers from among its cabin crew to fly up Monday and have it properly trained. Sixty other companies have agreed to take on their flights by British Airways customers. The move, which comes just a few weeks of parliamentary elections expected May 6, will last until Monday included initially.But he could resume next Saturday for four days, if no solution is found in the meantime.
After negotiations failed, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has missed a strike that is' in nobody's interest "and will" cause unacceptable inconvenience to passengers. " He called it "should be lifted immediately" and that union and management "to meet without delay." Co-Secretary Tony Woodley of Unite said he was disappointed that no agreement had been reached. For his part, Willie Walsh has appeared in a video posted on the site of his company and on YouTube, to say "deeply sorry" and call this day "terrible for the company." This move is embarrassing for the Labor government, Unite is the largest financial contributor of Labor.