British Airways has lost an appeal in a bid to try and block potential pilot strikes.
The airline is currently in a dispute with union British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) over pay.
As a result, the union held a strike ballot in which its members, including British Airways pilots, voted in favour of industrial action.
The airline had previously sought a High Court injunction to try and prevent strike action, but the High Court rules that BALPA had issued its ballot correctly and therefore the results could stand.
Although this means that BALPA could go ahead with potential pilot strikes if it chooses to, it's worth noting that the union has not yet confirmed that this is the course of action it will take.
Instead, in a statement union representatives explained that they are still working to negotiate with the airline using mediator ACAS in a bid to try and avoid strikes.
It also highlighted that if it would be required by law to provide BA with 14 days' notice of any proposed strike action.
A spokesperson for British Airways told Mirror Online: "We are disappointed that the pilots' union, BALPA, has chosen to threaten the holidays of thousands of our customers this summer with unprecedented strike action.
"We are very sorry for the disruption BALPA's strike action will cause our customers. While no strike dates have yet been issued by BALPA, and they are required to give us 14 days' notice of any intention to call strike action, we ask our customers to review their contact details by visiting ba.com, or by contacting their travel agent.
"We continue to pursue every avenue to find a solution to avoid industrial action and protect our customers' travel plans.
"Our proposed pay deal of 11.5 per cent over three years is fair, and by contrast to BALPA, has been accepted by the members of the Unite and GMB trade unions, which represent nearly 90 per cent of all British Airways colleagues."
BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said in a statement: "The Court of Appeal has today rightly dismissed BA’s attempt to injunct this industrial action on a technicality.
"BA’s attempt to defeat the democratic view of their pilots in court, rather than deal with us across the negotiating table, has sadly wasted huge amounts of time and money that could have been put into finding a peaceful resolution. Now the window for negotiation and compromise is closing fast.”
"On BA’s own figures submitted to the court, even a single day of strike action will cost far more than we believe it would take to settle this dispute.
"However, BALPA wants to resolve this matter through negotiation and so we are not announcing strike dates. Instead, we have called on BA to hold further talks at ACAS and they have agreed to meet at ACAS today and for the rest of this week for one last try to resolve this dispute by negotiation.
"We have spent four days in talks at ACAS already, and BA refused to move their position one iota. But we hope they now recongise the seriousness of the situation and will work positively with us to find a way forward.
"We are not announcing strike dates today. In any event we are required by law to provide BA with 14 days’ notice of any proposed strike action."
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