UK – The threatened stoppages at BA are being supported by transport workers groups worldwide according to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). The global union federation, so often the voice of sanity in these situations who represent over four and a half million transport workers in 154 countries told us today that many of their member organisations were backing the BA crews.
The ITF report that meetings with the powerful Teamsters union and members of the Unite union which represents the striking workers and the reaction of the Australian Transport Workers’ Union demonstrated the depth of support for their British colleagues. Gabriel Mocho, ITF Civil Aviation Section Secretary said:
“Ask anyone in the 264 aviation trade unions that are members of the ITF what they think of the dispute and they’ll tell you that they want to avoid industrial action and disruption to passengers. But in this case they don’t believe BA management has shown a real willingness to sort out the problems. The result has been a groundswell of support for the cabin crew and a search for ways to show it.
"If a solution to this strike isn’t found - and we, Unite and all our colleagues worldwide are actively seeking a settlement - then our member unions will continue to mobilise to support the strikers, using the kind of lawful expressions of solidarity that are most appropriate to them.
“That means whatever expression of solidarity they feel is within their power and within the laws of the land where they are located. The cabin crew are being supported in this by everyone from air traffic controllers to refuellers’ to ground and flight staff, and they want to do what they can to back their colleagues in BA. If a satisfactory solution is found, which is what we all hope for, then that action won't be taken. If it should prove necessary then we'd rather not say in advance the exact forms it will take.”
When faced with the criticism that taking what is essentially a local dispute and escalating it across the globe Mr Mocho stated that the ITF felt that BA was an international organisation trading around the world and affecting people in all the countries they traded with. These people were affected in some way by the actions of BA and its staff and hundreds of trade unions with many thousands of members were committed to support the strikers in the hope of effecting a speedy conclusion to the dispute.
The strike is bound to have a negative effect on support for the Brown Government which has been heavily criticised by supporters for both sides and of various political hues. The British labour Party accepted over £11 million in donations from the Unite union last year, trade unionists say the Government should support the strikers in view of this; the opposition parties say that the Government has simply ignored the issue and hoped it would go away.
