BA and Unite resume talks in a bid to avert strike March 18, 2010 WILLIE WALSH, chief executive of British Airways was last night locked in talks with Unite, the union representing cabin crew in an attempt to avert strikes set to commence tomorrow. Walsh was in talks with Unite’s joint general secretary Tony Woodley for most of the day, but refused to say if progress had been made [...]
BA pledges to run 65pc of flights in spite of strike March 17, 2010 BRITISH Airways said yesterday extra staff will allow it to run 65 per cent of flights during the intended strikes this coming weekend, rather than the 60 per cent it initially forecast. BA said that the number of staff offering to step in as cabin crew has increased. And in response to fears over background [...]
Brown: BA strike can still be averted March 17, 2010 GORDON Brown has said that a last-ditch agreement to avert a BA cabin crew strike is possible. The Prime Minister told parliament that the planned walkout – starting this weekend – was avoidable. He said: “What we need to do is to get the unions and the management to talk to each other. “I have [...]
BA and unions agree a deal over pensions March 16, 2010 BRITISH Airways and trade unions came to an agreement yesterday on plans to reduce the airline’s £3.7bn pension deficit. The proposals will see staff given the chance to either receive lower benefits and keep their current levels of contribution or opt out to pay 4.5 per cent extra to maintain their current pensions benefit. The [...]
BA rejects last minute Unite offer March 15, 2010 BRITISH Airways (BA) last night rejected a last-minute offer from trade union Unite to suspend strikes set to affect thousands of passengers this weekend. Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley said that if BA reinstated last week’s offer “there would be no reason why the strikes could not be suspended”. BA had offered to save [...]
PM brands BA strike plans “deplorable” March 15, 2010 A PLANNED seven-day strike by British Airways cabin crew is “unjustified and deplorable” and should be called off, Prime Minister said. Gordon Brown condemned the seven days of planned walkouts as BA and the Unite union met in a last ditch bid to avert the action. He said: “It’s the wrong time, it’s unjustified, it’s [...]
Dyson steps down as chairman March 14, 2010 Sir James Dyson, the extrovert entrepreneur, is stepping down as chairman of Dyson to be replaced by Bob Ayling, the former chief executive of British Airways. There are rumours that Dyson will be hired by the Conservatives if they win the next General Election. Last week he produced a 60 page report called “Ingenious Britain: [...]
Acquisitions are back on the agenda this year March 14, 2010 M&A teams in investment banks all over London must be salivating at the prospect of a wave of new deals. Acquisitions are back on the agenda. In many ways it makes sense. Last year many companies re-trenched, rebuilt their balance sheets and hoped for the best. They have been hoarding cash but now wonder if [...]
The sun is shining on property in the Med March 11, 2010 THIS year’s freezing winter may well have proved a tipping point in your decision to invest in a sunny property abroad – and it couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Possibly by the time the time London’s largest overseas property fair, A Place in the Sun (held at Earl’s Court) rolls around 26-28 Mar, [...]
BA strike looms as negotiations crash March 10, 2010 STRIKE talks between British Airways (BA) and Unite have fallen apart after the airline rejected a package of proposals from the union. BA said the proposed 2.6 per cent staff pay cut, which Unite estimated would have saved BA £60m, “fell significantly short” of the £62.m savings they needed. As a result of the failed [...]