Adonis calls walkouts 'unjustified'

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said the planned seven days of industrial action could put the future of the airline at risk, calling the walkouts "totally unjustified."

Unite hit back at the minister, saying he was "badly informed" about the long-running dispute, adding that he should be urging the airline to reinstate an offer it withdrew last week.

Privately, union officials were said to be "livid" with Lord Adonis, one saying he had "blundered" into the dispute without knowing all the facts.

It is understood that the union has made representations to 10 Downing Street about the minister's intervention.

Lord Adonis appealed to Unite to return to the negotiating table in an attempt to avert the industrial action planned to begin with a three day strike from next Saturday, followed by a four day stoppage from the following weekend.

Lord Adonis told BBC1's Andrew Marr show: "The impact this will have will not only be deeply damaging on passengers, it will ... threaten the very existence of British Airways. The stakes are incredibly high in this strike. I absolutely deplore the strike, it is not only the damage it is going to do passengers and the inconvenience it's going to cause - which is quite disproportionate to the issues at stake - but also the threat it poses to the future of one of our great companies in this country.

"It's totally unjustified, the strike, on the merits of the issues at stake. I do call on the union to engage constructively with the company at this late stage. This is an industrial dispute and it needs to be sorted out by proper negotiations."

Lord Adonis urged Unite "not to take action which not only would be deeply damaging to the economy and to the public but which could threaten the very jobs of their members which they are seeking to protect".

A Unite spokesman said: "Lord Adonis appears badly informed. We all want to avoid strike action and Unite is always ready to negotiate. Unite was preparing to put BA's offer to our members. Had they accepted it, there would be no strikes. However, the company withdrew that offer on Friday without explanation. Lord Adonis should publicly urge management to put that offer back on the table. Should they do so, there is still a possibility of peace. If Lord Adonis is not prepared to speak out, he risks being seen as taking the part of a bullying and intransigent management."