Talks to resume as BA strike enters fifth day
- 14 years ago
Talks aimed at ending the bitter British Airways dispute are resuming on Friday as a strike by cabin crew enters its fifth day.
The airline's chief executive Willie Walsh met with the joint leaders of the Unite union, Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, for six hours on Thursday, with little sign of a breakthrough to the long-running row.
Unite will drive a bus through central London, displaying a banner which reads "Brutish Airways" as part of the union's campaign against suspensions and the dismissals of staff who have taken industrial action.
Striking cabin crew will gather at Speakers' Corner, wearing red-coloured gags, to highlight the alleged "culture of fear" at BA as a result of the dispute.
Unite said almost 70 workers have now been suspended or sacked, some for "trivial" reasons.
The union said this week's strikes, coupled with seven days of action in March, had cost BA £84 million.
A further five-day walkout is due to start on Sunday, the day before Unite opens its national conference in Manchester, with a further five-day stoppage due to begin on June 5.