The BA situation has been largely manufactured by both sides as a test of strength. So much testosterone about that it had little chance of being settled amicably with a win win result.
Sorry to have to disagree with you on this one. Unite represent over half the BA workforce. Oddly enough the only unionised group of workers who have failed to reach an agreement with BA management over headcount reductions andcost cutting have been cabin crew. GMB and Unite members covering the ground staff have been able to come to arrangements. BALPA have, Heavens Unite actually circumvented the BASSA and Amicus folk when they struck the deal on the pension proposals last year. That says to me that whilst it is a battle of wills, it is about who manages the cabin crew community, the union or BA management. The union people have been so used to BA management backing down that they can't work out what to do when the company says 'no'. This disoute ws never going to have a win/win conclusion because the union side couldn't agree amongst themselves what they wanted and gave a flat refusal to any suggestions. Negotiation requires dialogue, something BASSA seem incapable of.