I think Walsh should be the person to worry. This is all his masterplan; Operation Columbus inc New Fleet. Why didn't he impose on the 30th June as he threatened? No he deliberately let it roll to the 16th November, so that when the inevitable response from the union was declared, the timing of the ballot and the notice of IA, would cause a strike to be initiated over Christmas. He accuses the union of being cynical, but he thought the cabin crew would baulk at striking over this period. He gambled and lost.
Was there ever going to be a negotiated settlement? If you can impose, you never need to talk to the union again. Everything else will simply follow: New Fleet, Disruption Agreement changed, Hourly Rate, 14 four day trips will go 3 day. Imposition is the prize; it is union busting. This is what Walsh, as an ex-union man, was appointed by the Board to do.
It is UNITE's turn in court tomorrow and with the huge majority plus the allegation of BA not giving over the list of VR's to the union, UNITE should win. But nothing is certain in a court of law. As far as the length of the strike; it would never go 12 days. After just three days there would be such unbelievable mayhem, that the government would have to step in due to the public disorder. The problem is dealing with someone like Walsh; you cannot fiddle around with the odd one day strike every three days. It had to be something that would grab his attention.
Let's face it, as an IALPA rep dealing with imposition from an Aer Lingus management, it is exactly what Walsh would have done himself. Remember he once said: "that in negotiations, you get nowhere by being reasonable"