Quite prepared to admit I'm wrong, but is this is the result of industrial dis-agreement over iARM (Integrated Airport Resource Management)?
For the unitiated, iARM is a project designed to (so the briefing goes) to make better use of the number of airport staff by more accurately working out how many people are needed and when. The GMB union has been particularly anti this project - in fact from what I gather it's the reason there have been no pay increases for the A (Administrative) or IM pay scales this year, as unions and management can't agree.
Whatever the outcome it's the latest in a long line of BA industrial relations fiascos. What with the airline closing cabins and wet leasing due to "social sickness" - a phenomenon I'd never even heard of until this year at BA - among crew, this is another
PR disaster for BA.
And I say that with no pleasure - like many others on here, I'm BA staff and a shareholder!