Duncan Holley said (thanks to
Hotel Mode):
Willie Walsh is in Berlin until Tuesday afternoon allegedly at a IATA conference but in my opinion he is more likely to be looking at ways to rebuild the Berlin Wall.
Actually, Duncan, Willie Walsh is at the IATA Conference. A little ominously for strikers, he didn't rule out sacking them.
FT.com / UK / Business - Walsh throws down gauntlet to strikers
British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh threw down the gauntlet to striking cabin crew staff on Monday, saying he would hold out against industrial action “for as long as it takes”.
In a sign of BA’s determination to break the Unite union’s stranglehold on the loss-making airline, Mr Walsh told a group of airline industry leaders: “I don’t think we’ve been brave enough in the past to stand up and say ‘No’.”
His comments came as flight attendants staged a third round of five-day strikes. Their action is due to end on Wednesday but the union may ballot cabin crew on further action if no agreement is reached in the dispute.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association in Berlin, Mr Walsh said he would not give in. “We’re absolutely determined at BA we are not going to do that this time. We’re going to hold out for as long as it takes and we will continue to build up the amount of flying we’re doing.”
Mr Walsh has deployed an arsenal of weapons since the strikes began in February, including hiring extra aircraft and crew, training volunteer attendants and taking legal action to block the strikes.
But the chief executive implied he might go further. Asked if he could imagine a situation where BA would start sacking striking workers, he said: “Let’s see what happens.”
He continued: “I think the contingency plans we’ve developed have worked very, very well and we continue to build on those. We’re building on the existing plans that we have.”
The union claims an agreement in principle has been reached over the cost-cutting proposals that sparked the dispute, but says the removal of employees’ travel concessions and BA’s refusal to reinstate sacked and suspended workers is blocking a deal.
Mr Walsh disputed this claim. “Travel is not the issue at the heart of this. I made it absolutely clear before the cabin crew even balloted for industrial action that travel concessions, which are non-contractual benefits, are clearly something of value to people in the business and something that is given to reward loyalty and service and dedication of the people in BA.”
Responding to the Mr Walsh’s determination to hold out for as long as it takes, Unite said: “Threats like this suggest BA’s management is getting even more macho. How on earth is this going to deliver a solution to this dispute?”
It said the City would “soon begin to worry about a CEO waging an uncontrolled war without end against his own workforce.”
BA has flown 80 per cent of its long-haul services from Heathrow during the strikes but Mr Walsh said this would rise to 100 per cent if the union took further industrial action.