9:25pm Thursday 18th March 2010
© Press Association 2011
Frantic efforts to avert a damaging strike by British Airways cabin crew are continuing with time running out on breaking a deadlocked row over cost-cutting.
The airline's chief executive, Willie Walsh, and the Unite union's joint leader, Tony Woodley, spent the day locked in delicate talks at the headquarters of the TUC in London.
Mr Woodley stressed that while talks were continuing there was some hope as he again appealed to the airline to put back on the table an offer it withdrew last week.
Thousands of BA cabin crew are due to stage a three-day strike from Saturday followed by a four-day walkout from March 27.
Union representatives spent the day on stand-by, waiting for a report back from Mr Woodley, but he remained at the TUC late into the evening.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson urged both sides to reach a solution that would avoid strike action, which he described as "needless" and "quite disproportionate" to the issues under dispute.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has been trying to broker a deal for the last few weeks. The surprise last-minute talks offered a glimmer of hope that the three-day strike could still be averted.
The talks came as international support for the strike increased, possibly jeopardising management plans to fly 60% of customers regardless of the action. Unions representing ground crews in the US and Germany pledged solidarity, raising the prospect of BA flights being disrupted at overseas destinations. Six trade unions in France were also reportedly organising their own action in support of BA workers.
BA has said it aims to fly thousands more passengers during the strike than it had initially planned after more staff volunteered to work. The union accused BA of "bluffing" and claimed that only 350 volunteers were prepared to stand in for strikers this weekend, as opposed to the 1,000 announced by the airline.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Woodley repeated his call to BA to re-table the offer which was withdrawn last week, adding that the strikes would be suspended if that happened.
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