According to press reports the TUC will continue to help negotiations between British Airways and Unite. It appears the first walk out from staff will take place from 1st March 2010.
I have previously written about the dispute.
Quite frankly there are a number of fundamental flaws in the approach to negotiation which make it more difficult for the parties to settle.
These include:
1 Less is more. The parties are involved in continious and never-ending negotiations. This is taking out impetus and respect for the negotiation process. It would be better if all the parties took a break and had 1 long session rather than a series of mini-sessions.
2 The parties are breifing the press. Yesterday I read that both BA and Unite had given their presentation papers to a national newspaper. The downside is that both parties are boxed in by what they say. How can they satisfy loss of face now? Part of their positions are displayed in the public.
3 Inter- Union Splits. Tensions are emerging between the unions as Unite and Balpa, the pilots unions after a number of pilots applied to retrain as cabin crew. On the surface this makes the position of the union weaker but it is an added complication for any mediator.
Justin Patten, Workplace Mediator