The ongoing dispute between British Airways management and cabin crew employees wor-sened as Unite the union has warned to hold a new ballot for a fresh wave of strikes.
The BA cabin crew is at present on its second five-day strike till June 4 after the first strike, which was held from May 24 till 28. The BA cabin crew is scheduled to hold another strike between June 5 and 9. “This has been a long and bitter dispute and it is not over yet. It has caused inconvenience to the public, which we can only regret,” Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley said on Monday and added that the dispute between the two sides can be summed up in one word: bullying.
The deal on cabin crew costs has already been agreed upon by both the sides, Unite said. “The airline could be restored to full operation in time for the peak summer season — but only if BA drops its vicious determination to punish crew for striking by removing their travel assistance,” the union added. The Unite leader accused BA chief executive Willie Walsh of humiliating and victimising members of Unite in BA.
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1st climate talks after Copenhagen
Bonn (Germany) : A new round of climate negotiations kicked off in Germany on Monday with squabbling over money and procedural questions that could threaten progress at the two-week UN conference.
UN climate chief Yvo de Boer and activists from groups including Oxfam, Greenpeace, and WWF pressured industrial nations to live up to their promises of financial aid to poor countries as about 4,500 participants from 182 countries gathered in Bonn. Concrete financial contributions must “show that developed countries are ready to deliver what they promised five months ago in Copenhagen,” Mr de Boer told reporters, referring to the disappointing climate summit in the Danish capital in December. Industrial nations at Copenhagen pledged $30 billion in aid in 2010-2012 to help poorer nations start environment friendly development programmes and adapt to the worst consequences of climate change.
However, Mr de Boer and non-governmental organisations say developing nations remain sceptical if the money will come through and if it is additional or simply relabeled funds already pledged for other purposes.
“The finance part has not been solved,” Greenpeace expert Wendel Trio told the Associated Press.
—AP