BA urges Unite to talk after low turnout

Fresh talks to break the deadlock in the long-running British Airways dispute are likely after cabin crew voted by two to one to reject the airline’s “final” offer, but on a low turnout that left the Unite union in a weakened ­position.

BA officials indicated they were willing to get round the table again, but it may be hard for Unite to extract further significant concessions. The airline claimed the union had lost the moral authority to represent cabin crews’ views and urged it to “come back to the table to sign the agreement”.

Unite members voted by 3,419 to 1,686 against the offer in a consultative ballot – a turnout of less than half its 11,000 cabin crew members, well down on previous ballots for strikes that brought turnouts of more than 70 per cent and majorities of at least four-fifths.

Unite, which did not make any recommendation on whether to accept the proposed deal, held back from calling a ballot for more strikes as it pressed BA for more talks to resolve the dispute over cost savings, travel concessions and disciplinary issues.

Tony Woodley, the union’s joint general secretary, claimed the ballot result was a “wake-up call” for Willie Walsh, BA chief executive, and said only 15 per cent of BA’s cabin crew had voted to accept the offer. “I call on him to come back to the negotiating table so we can reach an agreement and end this dispute so our people can get back to work,” he added.

The offer included pay increases of 2.9 per cent next year and 3 per cent the year after and guarantees that cheaper flight attendant recruits at Heathrow would not diminish earnings for existing crew.

The dispute was originally sparked by crew reductions on long-haul flights but has since shifted to include staff travel benefits removed from striking workers this year. BA has offered to restore the benefits partially but not at the same seniority levels, meaning strikers would not get the same priority for flights as less experienced staff.

Cabin crew have walked out for 22 days in two rounds of stoppages since March, costing loss-making BA an estimated £150m in a dispute that began more than a year ago.

Unite has the option of calling another ballot on further strikes, which could take place from September, but this vote suggests it may struggle to win a convincing majority.