Union seeks to lift BA strike injunction

The union representing British Airways cabin crew is preparing to appeal against an injunction which halted strike action planned by thousands of its members in a bitter row over jobs, pay and staffing levels.

Mr Justice McCombe has granted an order against Unite, giving a reprieve for passengers who had faced weeks of travel chaos but drawing furious criticism from its leaders who described the decision as an "absolute disgrace".

A spokesman for the airline said flights will still be affected for the rest of the week despite the injunction, with half of short-haul and 40 per cent of long-haul services from Heathrow set to be hit on Tuesday because it is too late to reinstate a full service.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who held separate talks with both sides, said the judgment was good news for passengers.

Unite members had been due to stage the first of four five-day walkouts from midnight on Monday night, but the union was left urgently contacting its members to tell them to work normally.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh and Unite leaders Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson spent three hours at the conciliation service Acas. Mr Walsh said he hoped the injunction gave the union a chance to pause and consider again the "very fair" offer BA had made.

He said relations between the two sides were "strained", but he added: "I genuinely believe it is time to move on. We have an opportunity to pause and reflect and hopefully we will be able to make progress."

BA had argued Unite had not "properly complied" with the requirement to "send everyone eligible to vote details of the exact breakdown of the ballot result" and that, as a result, the strike action was "unlawful".

Tony Woodley suggested Unite could now hold another ballot, adding that the result was a "bad day" for democracy in Britain.