A strike by British Airways cabin crew is set to start next week after the court of appeal overturned an injunction against the strike.
Union Unite appealed against the decision and a panel of senior judges on Thursday, including the Lord Chief Justice, ruled 2-1 in favor of overturning the injunction. “Despite the obvious enthusiasm of colleagues here, this is not a moment for being triumphant,” said Derek Simpson, the joint general-secretary of Unite. “We shouldn’t have been in this process.” He also confirmed that cabin crew wouldn’t go on strike before Monday, when a five-day action is due to begin.
The two sides have been in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions. BA said it was “disappointed for our customers” that Unite’s appeal had been upheld. “We will implement our contingency plan to keep British Airways flying,” the company said in a statement. “Unite’s strikes have failed twice and they will fail again.”
But if the various strikes do take place (the five-day stoppages are scheduled for May 24, 30 and June 5) it will certainly exasperate passengers, including those booked to travel to South Africa in June for the soccer World Cup.