LEYTON: Labour candidate says Brown is "wrong" about BA strike (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

LEYTON: Labour candidate says Brown is "wrong" about BA strike

3:34pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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THE Labour candidate for Leyton & Wanstead has said Gordon Brown is wrong to condemn the strikes by British Airways (BA) staff.

John Cryer, the man hoping to replace Harry Cohen as Labour MP, is a political officer for Unite, the union behind the planned industrial action, which will cause misery for thousands of air passengers.

Around 12,000 cabin crew members are due to walk out on Saturday for three days over a dispute about staffing cuts.

The Prime Minister has called the strikes “deplorable” and unjustified.”

But Mr Cryer said: “I think Gordon Brown is wrong and mistaken.

“I gather BA's management have been looking for a confrontation with members, I strongly suspect they are intending to try and remove the trade unions as an effective force within British Airways.

“I am hoping there will be a settlement.”

Mr Cryer also accused Ed Northover, the Conservative candidate for the seat, of “petty, party-political point-scoring”, by publicly challenging him to condemn the union's activities.

Cllr Northover said: “If Unite does not compromise on this there will be no more BA.

“People are already drifting to other airlines and they may not come back.

“I don't want to see our national carrier fail.

“Nor do I want to see it being taken over by another airline, much like many members of the British public do not wish to see the Labour Party become once more a wholly-owned subsidiary of the trade dnions."

A peace offering from BA, which would have seen a partial reversal of the cuts, was withdrawn after Unite allegedly broke a deal by announcing dates of strikes.

A second four-day strike has been scheduled for March 27.

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