BA targeted by fresh union attack ads

The UK's largest union body, Unite, has revived its advertising campaign against British Airways to publicise the dispute between the airline and its staff.

Unite: campaign explains the BA dispute
Unite: campaign explains the BA dispute

The 'BA: United We Stand' campaign, has been created in-house. It features a shot of the tails of three grounded BA planes beneath the headline 'Going Nowhere'. It is running in today's Mirror, Mail and Guardian newspapers.

The ad asks "What do you think of when you think British Airways?", above half a page of text explaining the reasons for the dispute. The strapline says "Find out why this dispute is now in its third year" and directs readers to a dedicated website, .

The ad is running after BA thwarted Unite's attempt to conduct further strike action.

In January, BA crew members voted to strike again this year, leading BA to complain to the election overseer Electoral Reform Services that the ballot was not valid. The ERS responded by issuing a qualification on the ballot, making it invalid.

Unite, on Tuesday 8 February, said it will re-cast a vote in the next 10 days.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite the Union, issued a statement this week. He said: "Failing a willingness by BA management to take its employment relations seriously and start negotiating, we would anticipate giving the company formal notice of this fresh ballot within the next 10 days or so.

"BA management needs to understand that it will never break the spirit of cabin crew, and that customer uncertainty and confusion will continue until it starts listening to its staff."

BA, in a statement, said: "Only Unite wants to continue this dispute. We shook hands on a deal last October but Unite reneged on it. The union does not have the support of the majority of our cabin crew and it has lost 2,500 crew members since the dispute began.

"There have been enough ballots. It is time for Unite to return to the deal we negotiated, which leaves our existing Heathrow crew the best rewarded in the UK industry, and to put this dispute behind us."

Last week, easyJet took a swipe at BA in a press ad that highlighted the strike threat.

The 'BA: United We Stand' campaign

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