BA cabin crew union wins appeal

The British Airways cabin crew union, Unite, won an appeal on Today against a High Court ruling this week that had blocked a new wave of walkouts by the airline's staff.

The union said it would not strike before Monday, and that it was seeking a settlement with BA, which is in a dispute with its cabin crew over pay as the airline tries to cut costs.
Two out of three of Britain's senior judges ruled in favour of Unite in a knife-edge decision.
BA said in a statement it was "very disappointed", adding that it would implement a contingency plan to keep planes flying. It intends to fly more than 70 percent of the customers booked.
Originally the union had planned to stage strikes from May 18-22 , May 24-28 , May 30-June 3, and June 5-9.
BA on Monday won a court injunction to stop a threatened five-day strike by cabin crew members, the first of four such planned disruptions
Upset by the ruling Unite immediately challenged the decision, calling it a "disgrace" and an affront to democracy.
BA's lawyers had previously successfully argued that Unite had breached the 1992 labour law which stipulates that unions must communicate a full breakdown of votes cast, including figures on spoiled ballot papers.
The judge ruled against the union on the grounds that it had failed to provide all the necessary information in an easily accessible place.
Earlier this week Unite said it had reached agreement in principle with BA over its plans to save GBP£62.5 million (USD$90 million) a year to counter falling demand, volatile fuel prices and greater competition.
However, Unite said the restoration of staff travel perks had not been agreed and this row was holding up settlement of the wider dispute.