Unite meets US Teamsters union over BA strike

The meeting in Washington DC was organised after Teamsters offered its "solidarity with our brothers and sisters at Unite".

"The Teamsters are an active member of the International Transport Workers Federation. ITF affiliates around the world are mobilising to support British Airways workers in their fight for passenger safety and worker respect," an official said.

A Unite spokesman said: "Unite have had a large number of inquiries from trade unions around the world, offering support to cabin crew."

BA and the Conservatives criticised the talks. The airline said it was sad to see Unite attempt to get overseas backing for "unjustified strikes against an iconic British brand".

Theresa Villiers, the Shadow transport secretary, said the union was "hell-bent" on causing maximum disruption for travellers: "Unite should not be striking at all and trying to spread the dispute to other countries is even more irresponsible."

With a three-day strike to go ahead from Saturday, it emerged that British tourists risked being stranded in the Turks and Caicos Islands after BA cancelled their plane home on Sunday - the only weekly flight from the Caribbean islands to London.

Unite's joint leaders, Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, sent a letter to union members and MPs complaining that BA management had become "increasingly macho", and accusing chief executive Willie Walsh of "union busting" tactics.

Woodley again called on BA to put back on the table an offer it withdrew last week after the strikes were called.

A BA spokesman said: "We have put this offer to Unite on three occasions. At no stage has the union said it would recommend the offer to its members - and over the weekend it compiled a detailed briefing for its members, setting out why it should not be accepted.

"The union has been threatening strikes at British Airways for months. Our business is being continually damaged by uncertainty and Unite is now seeking to create more.

"While Unite prevaricates, we have a business to run and customers who want to be flown to their destinations. We remain available for talks, as we always have."

A Unite spokesman said: "Unite is ready to meet BA but they need to put their offer of last week back on the table.

"If they think that strikes are going to be avoided with a worse offer, they are conning the travelling public. The company is still trying to bully and bludgeon its way through this. We need a serious approach to addressing cabin crews' concerns."