BA strike receives international support

The planned strike action by Unite, the union which represents British Airways, scheduled to take place this Saturday has received support from a number of overseas unions.

In the United States, union officials have stated that they were investigating legal options for ways in which to back the striking British Airways cabin crew workers, while at the same time exploring wider international cooperation across the troubled air travel industry. The International Transport Worker’s Federation civil aviation secretary, Gabriel Mocho, claimed that a groundswell of industry support has been rising for cabin crew staff, believed to be being bullied into new workplace agreements.

Mocho added that showing such support was difficult but that if the dispute remains unresolved then the likelihood of international lawful demonstrations would increase. Mocho said that aviation workers across the globe are watching on eagerly and stand ready to help their embattled colleagues.

U.S. International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division Director Captain David Bourne also claimed that his organisation was exploring legal avenues to show support for the striking workers. Unite officials met with Capt Bourne in Washington DC this week to discuss the dispute and possible international collaboration. He advised that similar action in the US would require a drawn-out mediation process but that the Teamsters were contacting other union representatives to garner support for their British Airways colleagues.