UK bars strike by airline’s workers
LONDON - Britain’s High Court delivered an early Christmas present to around a million travelers yesterday by granting British Airways an emergency injunction to stop a 12-day strike by its cabin crews.
BA celebrated its success in the latest round of an increasingly acrimonious dispute with workers over pay cuts and reduced staffing levels. The Unite labor union deemed it a “disgraceful day for democracy.’’
The strike organized by Unite, which had been due to begin on Tuesday, would likely have grounded the majority of BA’s planes at a time the loss-making airline normally operates 650 flights and carries 90,000 passengers each day.
Even some of the cabin crew staff who voted in favor of the walkout said they were having second thoughts about its severity amid a growing backlash from the British public.
In the end, Unite was forced to call off the walkout on a technicality.
Justice Laura Cox said the balance lay “firmly’’ with granting the injunction and refused Unite permission to appeal her decision in the High Court.
“A strike of this kind over the twelve days of Christmas is fundamentally more damaging to BA and the wider public than a strike taking place at almost any other time of the year,’’ Cox said.
