BA talks: squaring up for a clash of the titans
Posted by BritishAirwaysStrike | Posted in Strike News | Posted on 31-01-2010
Tags: airline, secretaries, transport
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Seemingly divided Unite bosses and an ever-tough BA boss are set to make the imminent peace talks more difficultThe Union LeadersTONY WOODLEY and Derek Simpson are the key trade union figures in the BA cabin crew dispute as the joint general secretaries of Unite. The union has nearly two million members, brought together by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers Union (T) in 2007.Woodley, the most powerful figure at the T, and Simpson, his Amicus counterpart, have been dogged by reports of a difficult working relationship since the merger, which forced them to issue a statement in 2008 denying a rift.”We share a warm personal friendship, holding as we do the same values and the same vision for the future of Unite,” they said. Both officials are the main point of contact for Willie Walsh, the BA chief executive, who warned them in a face-to-face meeting late last year that he would meet the threat of strike action by cabin crew with an injunction.Simpson is to stand down on his 66th birthday in December, with Woodley leaving a year later. They will be replaced by one general secretary and Len McCluskey, lead negotiator in the talks, is an early favourite to take over.McCluskey, Unite’s assistant general secretary, will boost his chances of winning the leadership election if he secures an agreement without becoming mired in a wave of strikes, which are unlikely to be well received by either public or politicians. Any agreement will require the backing of Bassa, Unite’s cabin crew branch, which has about 12,000 BA members and also has representatives at the talks, often leaving the BA negotiation team outnumbered.Tensions between Bassa and the Unite leadership re-emerged in December when Unite attempted to delay the announcement of a 12-day strike due to Walsh’s legal threats. Unite backed down but BA won the high court injunction and another strike ballot is under way. A likely yes vote will again test that relationship. The Unite leadership have voiced their preference for a three-day walkout but a majority of Bassa members believe the threat of a strike lasting longer than 10 days is needed to gain maximum leverage in negotiations.Indeed, Simpson told GMTV in December that a 12-day strike was “probably over the top” a statement that alarmed many within Bassa. Woodley, Simpson and McCluskey will have to perform a balancing act if they are to secure a settlement with BA or persuade Bassa to accept a strike lasting less than 10 days.The Airline BossWILLIE WALSH, British Airways’ chief executive, knows how to deal with loss-making carriers struggling to emerge from state ownership.When he was boss of Ireland’s then government-controlled Aer Lingus, he cut 2,500 jobs, ensuring the airline’s survival and establishing a fearsome reputation. His nickname for a period was “slasher” Walsh, and that pragmatic approach to turning around a loss-making business persuaded the BA board to hire him in 2005.In a 25-year career at Aer Lingus, the Dubliner saw both sides of the negotiating table as a member of the pilots’ union and, later, a senior manager. The head of the Irish pilots’ union, Evan Cullen, said Walsh was a “formidable negotiator” for the union but also “very good to deal with” after he changed sides. Walsh’s early career as an Aer Lingus pilot he joined as a 17-year-old trainee in 1979 probably helped the pilots receive a more sympathetic hearing.However, Walsh appears to have become tougher since joining BA. Former senior colleagues at BA recent years have seen a management clearout testify to his nous and his unwillingness to take no for an answer.Walsh tired of attempting to negotiate changes in cabin crew staffing levels and, in November, unilaterally removed at least one steward from aircraft. That has triggered a court case, which starts on Tuesday. The case will determine whether the cuts represent a change in existing crews’ contracts because they now have to work harder to make up for the reduction in onboard staff numbers. If the High Court rules against BA, the airline could be exposed to a sizeable compensation claim but, with BA facing a second successive year of heavy losses, Walsh is willing to take the risk.It is Walsh’s use of the courts that sums up the 48-year old’s increasingly bullish management style. If he believes he is acting in the long-term interests of the airline, he will take trade unions to court rather than compromise a brave move in an airline as heavily unionised as BA.Two years ago the British pilots’ union, BALPA, threatened to strike over the establishment of a Paris-to-New York service and, rather than back down, Walsh secured a court injunction. Last Christmas, a planned 12-day walkout by cabin crew, which could have cost the airline hundreds of millions of pounds, was also stopped by an injunction. Tuesday’s high court showdown is unlikely to be the last.British AirwaysAirline industryTrade unionsDan Milmo Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
