Union to lobby BA at annual meeting

British Airways shareholders attending the carrier’s annual meeting today (Tuesday) will be lobbied by Unite union members in a bid to end the long-running cabin crew dispute.

Shareholders will be asked for their support in ending the row between the workforce and BA management.

There are 11,000 cabin crew currently voting on an offer from the company to resolve the dispute. Acceptance could end further strike action.

But important issues remain unresolved, including the withdrawal of staff travel arrangements from thousands of crew who took lawful strike action earlier this year, Unite said.

Union members will be at the QE2 Conference Centre in London distributing a letter to shareholders which asks for an end to “management by conflict”

They will call for concerted efforts to be made to rebuild relationships across the company.

Unite will be joined by senior representatives of CC.OO, the Spanish union which represents Iberia cabin crew amid concerns about the impact on staff as a result of the BA-Iberia merger planned for November.

The CC.OO is concerned that the hardline stance adopted by BA is at odds with the industrial relations style practiced within Iberia and could put the merger at risk, according to Unite.