British Airways lacks the spine to fight union, says Ryanair

By Alistair Osborne Published: 6:45AM GMT twenty-four February 2010

British Airways

Reacting to Mondays set upon list by BAs 12,000 cabin crew, Mr OLeary said: "The unions need to be taken on. BA is massively over-staffed and has got to get the costs down."

However, he had doubts either BAs board, chaired by Martin Broughton, had the bravery for a conflict with Unite, the cabin organisation union.

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"I think, identical to majority dwindle carriers do, theyll wimp out at the eleventh hour," Mr OLeary said. "The complaint for [chief executive] Willie Walsh is that the house of BA has no spine, no balls and no vision."

Mr OLeary claimed that this was quite loyal in the run-up to an election. "I have a little magnetism with Willie. Fundamentally his heart is in the right place but the house is useless. Its a really domestic board. Are they going to concede a set upon 3 months prior to an election? Of march not."

He claimed that the BA house was customarily meddlesome in removing themselves knighthoods or identical honours. "Is Martin Broughton on the chivalry route or a chair in the House of Lords. I find it tough to tell," Mr OLeary said.

A BA orator would usually contend of Mr OLearys remarks: "We are not going to enhance them with a comment."

Neither did Mr OLeary have most time for the unions tactics, quite the unfinished 12-day set upon over Yuletide that BA halted with a High Court injunction. "They finished a balls of it prior to Christmas," Mr OLeary said. "Unite if they had any brains, that they dont should only have a one-day set upon each dual weeks. Thats sufficient to interrupt BA. That would ravage it."

He combined that BA should not review to the courts again. "Im not certain that the right thing for BA to have finished last time was to get an injunction. Let them have a strike."

His comments came as negotiations resumed in between Unite officials and BA government team in a bid to solve their brawl over new operative practices. Crew will encounter at Kempton Park racecourse tomorrow but the unions stream plan is not to make known set upon dates then.

BA shares were 2.3 higher at 209.5p, notwithstanding the batch being heavily shorted with total from Data Explorers display that shares on loan had increasing from 22.1pc to 30.3pc over the past month.

John Strickland, executive of JLS Consulting, pronounced a set upon could cost BA �25m a day. "I think theres some-more than a satisfactory possibility it will happen," he said. "BA cant means to behind down but the kinship seems incredibly demure to admit the being of what BA government is saying."

Disruption to European aviation one after another on Tuesday after French air trade controllers launched a five-day strike. It followed Mondays walkout by Lufthansa pilots that caused 900 moody cancellations.