By Jeremy Dewar

After two thumping mandates for action and 22 strike days, the BA dispute is at a critical stage. An indefinite strike is the key to victory.

The battle at British Airways is not just about the 14,000 cabin crew – it affects the whole working class.

The dispute started over BA’s plans to impose a two-year pay freeze, cut 1,700 jobs and turn 3,000 others into part-time posts. To cap it off, new staff would get worse conditions, creating a two-tier workforce. This was unfair and provocative.

The bosses certainly knew what was at stake, even if Unite’s leaders Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson did not. Twice high court judges ruled “irregular” the mandates of 80-90 per cent in favour of the strikes – most recently because Unite failed to fully publicise 11 spoilt ballot papers!

Now Unite officials say BA workers have to re-ballot because its mandate for industrial action has expired. In the meantime, BA is cutting jobs and victimising activists.

Escalate the action
BA cabin crew can still win this strike – but not with Woodley and Simpson’s strategy. The core of Unite activists should organise mass meetings to hammer out a new approach.

First, the strikers need to deliver a massive “Yes” vote in the new ballot. Then it’s time cabin crew were in charge of setting strike dates, not the Unite officials who bow to every demand to postpone action.

Second, let’s use the balloting period to build up the strikers’ own war chest, with workplace and street collections, so strikers can afford to ground BA planes indefinitely with an all-out strike. If a judge outlaws the new strikes, Unite should defy the courts and call for solidarity of the whole union movement.

Finally, BA cabin crew, who have remained heroically steadfast throughout this fight, have every right to bring their case to Labour and the trade union movement. Unite should demand that each candidate in the Labour leadership election – and the party as a whole – backs the strikers 100 per cent.

• Victory to the BA cabin crew!