Union to decide strike dates for British Airways cabin crew

Union bosses are preparing to announce dates for British Airways cabin crew strikes after talks to try to resolve a bitter row over cost-cutting broke down.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the long running dispute collapsed when marathon talks ended without agreement.

The Unite union's 12,500 cabin crew members have twice voted hugely in favour of industrial action, but a planned walkout over Christmas was halted after a successful legal challenge from BA.

The union ruled out striking over Easter, but a walkout could come as early as 18 March. Unite will have to give BA seven days' notice.

The two sides have been in negotiations under the chairmanship of TUC general secretary Brendan Barber, which broke up without agreement.

Barber said: "Despite a prolonged period of negotiations it has not been possible to reach agreement between BA and Unite.

"Both parties will be reflecting on the position and the TUC will be keeping in touch but at this stage no further negotiations are planned."

Unite said: "Talks with British Airways concluded without agreement being reached. Management's offer went nowhere near addressing our members' concerns over crew numbers and service levels.

"Talks were further impeded by gratuitously provocative statements by senior BA managers not involved in the negotiations, once more calling into question the company's interest in reaching an agreement."

BA said it remained available for further negotiations but hopes of resurrecting talks were slim. Unite put forward a 10-page document it said contained possible savings of almost £63 million, including a one year pay freeze, followed by a pay cut of 2.6%.

The airline said the union's proposals fell "significantly short" of the figure and would lead to pay cuts of between £1,000 and £2,700 for crew, which the union disputed.