Govt plea to union and BA to talk

LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson will plead with British Airways and the Unite union over the next 24 hours to return to the negotiating table so the cabin crew strike due to start tomorrow can be called off.

In a two-pronged approach, the Prime Minister will hold private talks with the union's leadership, while Mandelson will speak to BA management.

Two "go betweens" will press both sides to make a last-minute effort to avert the industrial action: Brendan Barber, the TUC general secretary, and the conciliation service Acas.

"We have 24 hours to avert the strike, and that is what we will try to do," one government source said.

"We can't negotiate but we can urge both parties to do so. It's not enough to patch over it so we postpone this action. The two sides need to reach a permanent settlement once and for all. Every time the union threatens action, BA loses customers. It is ruinous for BA. The union has it over a barrel."

However, hopes of last-minute talks receded when BA raised the stakes by refusing to guarantee it would not sack the union officials at the heart of the dispute.

That heightened union fears of a clear-out of shop stewards at Bassa, Unite's cabin crew branch. Seven members of its committee already face disciplinary proceedings launched last year.

But Unite received a boost when the German union ver.di joined Australian and American unions in offering "practical" support.

A small number of cabin crew members used a secure online forum yesterday to question whether the strike should go ahead. "Unless we get concrete proof that we will not be sacked, we should call off the strike," said one. Another urged colleagues to accept the deal offered by BA. "It is not far from [our demands] except for the losing of the crew member and we don't have to take the pay cut."

Although the Conservatives believe the BA dispute will damage Labour's prospects at the general election because of the party's close links with Unite, Labour sources claim the issue is not "playing hard on the doorsteps" because ministers have criticised the strike.

- INDEPENDENT