British Airways is to take legal action to try and prevent the 12 days of cabin crew strikes planned over the Christmas period.
BA is seeking an injuction to prevent the walkout, which is expected to last from December 22 until January 2. Cabin crew voted in favour of the strike yesterday.
The airline has also written to Unite union highlighting “irregularities” in the union’s strike ballot, which the airline believes makes it invalid.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh said: “We are absolutely determined to do whatever we can to protect our customers from this appalling, unjustified decision from Unite. We do not want to see a million Christmases ruined.
“Unite was told about the problems with its ballot on Friday. Yet it cynically went ahead with an extreme, highly publicised threat to our customers and our business in the knowledge that it might not be able to carry it out.”