British Airways CEO says he’s hopeful cabin crew strikes due to start Monday can be averted
By APSunday, May 23, 2010
BA chief says he’s hopeful strikes can be averted
LONDON — British Airways chief executive says he is hopeful a series of cabin crew strikes, due to begin within hours, can be averted.
Willie Walsh says he hopes talks with the union will be held Sunday.
Walsh said “there were a number of issues that were I think successfully addressed” in talks that lasted several hours Saturday, “so there is always hope.”
The talks ended abruptly when protesters broke into the building. British Airways PLC cabin crew are due to walk out Monday for a series of strikes totaling 15 days in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and working conditions.
The strikes would bring more financial hardship to BA, which posted a record annual loss of 425 million pounds ($611 million) on Friday.
