McCluskey urges bosses to put offer on table

The union said thousands of its members would walk out for three days from March 20 and for four days from March 27 after the collapse of talks aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and working conditions.

Unite had disclosed plans on Friday to ballot its 12,000 cabin crew members on an offer from BA - but any hopes of a last-ditch reprieve were scuppered when airline bosses said the offer was no longer on the table.

Writing in the Daily Mail on Saturday BA chief executive Willie Walsh launched a scathing attack on Unite, describing the proposed strike as "another cold-blooded threat" to the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers.

He accused the union of being stuck in a time warp and said it was blind to the difficulties the airline faced in the "worst recession for 80 years."

It "prefers to believe the Earth is flat," Mr Walsh blustered.

But Mr McCluskey said he did not want to take part in a battle of insults.

"BA's managers must pause and think hard about what they risk losing if they continue with this needless war against its own workforce," he said.

"Once again, I urge Mr Walsh to put the offer back on the table.

"Allow your workers a voice. Trust them to make the correct decision on their futures and bring stability back to this airline."

The union also warned of the "dangerous folly" of using untrained staff to crew planes and said that only days ago a BA crew in New York had proved its worth by saving the life of a man who collapsed at the airport.

Mr McCluskey added: "Time and again we hear of how BA cabin crew pull out all the stops for those in their care.

"Even in the face of vicious intimidation from their company, they remain dedicated, caring and exceptionally skilled professionals who feel passionately about BA and about defending what it stands for - world-class care for passengers."