Re Heat #2642
I actually think BA's process to resolve the strike will be simple and not involve legal action at all. Firstly, I doubt any strike would be "all out". As with the postal dispute, different groups will be called out on different days, and most of the time there will be no strike action at all. The idea will be to cause maximum disruption at minimum cost of lost earnings to strikers.
So, let's say LHR long haul get called out first for, say 3 days just before Christmas. Only those staff rostered those days need strike. Everyone else turns up for work. The idea would be to call out, say LHR short haul over New Year next.
How could/should BA respond? Well, firstly, I would expect they are already contacting those on their CC employment waiting list and offering them short term work. How many CC wannabes does BA have right now? How many experienced redundant CC from other airlines could it recruit quickly? Enough to keep the bulk of flights in the air I'm assuming. Secondly, as the first strikers return after their 2-3 days of action, they could be met from BA's HR (or "People" as I think BA call it) department and asked to sign a paper agreeing to work according to the new working conditions. If they sign it, it would then be very hard to strike legally again. If they don't sign it, they get told to go home on (say) 90 days unpaid leave, with that period covered by the short-term contract staff recruited above. It would be very hard to sue BA for anything. Nobody has been sacked. Everyone is given the opportunity to work according to the new terms. It even gives the "undecideds" or those who don't want a fight but equally have no desire to undermine their Union, a chance to undertake a "symbolic" strike, and then fall into line at little cost to anyone.
There's really no need for BA to go for the confrontational approach everyone, for different reasons, seems to be relishing here. Ultimately, those remaining at BA have to be able to work together, and show a degre of pleasure in doing so to passengers. Crushing the entire CC community isn't a good play for Walsh long term. Crushing the Union diehards undoubtedly is.