Child play? Unite in one-off £700,000 levy to fund new strikes as mothers bring children to picket p

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Last updated at 6:46 PM on 29th March 2010

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Unite is to raise £700,000 to support striking British Airways cabin crew with a levy on members, the union decided today.

Officials said the move showed the union's resolve in continuing the bitter row over jobs and cost-cutting, which has cost the airline millions of pounds.

Cabin crew were on strike again today for the third day of a four-day walk-out following a three-day stoppage last week, which BA said has cost it around £50 million.

Lots of women workers arrived at the strike with their young children, who joined in the protests.

Support: A young child holding a placard at today's British Airways strike

Unite maintained that BA's losses as a result of the disruption to flights and cost of hiring planes from other companies was nearer £100 million.

A proposal for a mandatory 2 per cent levy for the next quarter to support the BA strikers was approved by the union's general executive, sources said.

Joint leader Tony Woodley said the move was 'unprecedented' and would raise £700,000, which will go on strike pay and other ways of supporting union members involved in the dispute.

Meanwhile, the two sides continued to clash over the impact of the strike, with Unite insisting that growing numbers were joining the walk-out.

Union officials said 168 cabin crew reported for duty today, 33 were off sick and 196 on strike, adding that 140 BA flights out of 286 were cancelled at Heathrow's Terminal 3 and 5 this morning and a further 117 out of 203 will be cancelled later today.

The union claimed that only 42 per cent of the airline's services were leaving Heathrow, most of them involving aircraft leased from other companies.

'BA's service today is severely impacted by the strike,' said an official.

Day off: A group of glamorous strikers, one of whom had their dog with them

Pants protest: One striker wore a pair of white knickers with BA boss Willie Walsh's face on the bottom

BA said: 'At Heathrow, our flying programme is significantly more extensive than during the first strike period.

'We are operating 70 per cent of our normal long-haul programme (compared with 60 per cent last weekend) and up to 55 per cent of our short-haul programme (compared with 30 per cent).

'Due to the higher numbers of crew reporting for work than during the first strike period, we have been able to operate our expanded schedule at Heathrow with less than half the number of chartered aircraft used in the first strike period.'

Battle bus: Strikers waving huge Unite flags roll in on a red bus

The wheels on the bus...: A little child watches from the vehicle window

Unite said the funds will be in addition to the money the union is paying to crew in strike pay.

Mr Woodley said: 'This is an unprecedented move and it shows that Unite is absolutely determined to give our members all the support they deserve in winning this battle against the BA bullies.

'We continue to search for a decent settlement in this dispute but cabin crew are not going to be driven back to work for lack of resources.'

Conservative Party chairman Eric Pickles said it was a 'cash raid' on Unite members, adding: 'These barons don't want to touch the millions they give to Gordon Brown each year to bankroll the Labour Party, so they'll pick on their own rank and file instead.

'Both Unite's members and the public are now being stuffed by Labour's union bosses.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1262080/Unite-700-000-levy-fund-new-strikes-mothers-bring-children-picket-party.html#ixzz0jcYS4edS