British Airways cabin crew union Unite is to re-ballot its members for strike action, after the airline brought forward claims that the previous ballot was unlawful.
BA cabin crew last month voted in support of renewed strike action. Unite balloted 10,220 cabin crew, with 56% of them backing strike action.
The union claimed support of 78% because only 7,330 valid ballot papers were returned, with 5,751 of them in favour of industrial action.
However, Unite now says it "cannot call industrial action based on this ballot" because BA advised the Electoral Reform Society that the ballot was "unlawful and that any industrial action taken on the basis of it would be unprotected".
Unite says it has immediately begun preparations for a further ballot. It plans to give the carrier formal notice of the fresh ballot within the next 10 days.
BA has issued a scathing statement in response to Unite's latest move. "Unite has once again failed to conduct a proper ballot. We make no apology for having advised Unite of the flaws in its conduct. The union has nobody to blame but itself," says the carrier.
It adds: "Only Unite wants to continue this dispute. We shook hands on a deal last October but Unite reneged on it. There have been enough ballots. It is time for Unite to return to the deal we negotiated, which leaves our existing Heathrow crew the best rewarded in the UK industry, and to put this dispute behind us."
No strike dates were set under last month's ballot.
BA resisted several attempts by the union last year to disrupt its operations through strike action. The dispute has been going on for over a year.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
