Tuesday set as deadline for BA strike talks

Talks aimed at averting strikes by British Airways cabin crew have been given a deadline to end by Tuesday.

The date was set by the TUC, which is chairing the talks, and if no resolution is found by then, industrial action could begin as early as Tuesday 16 March.

In February, BA crew members voted in favour of strike action over pay and working conditions. The Unite union must give a week's notice about any strike action, and has said that its members will not strike over Easter. The TUC said: "On the initiative of the TUC general secretary Brendan Barber, both Unite and British Airways have now committed to the objective of completing these negotiations by close of play on Tuesday 9 March to determine whether or not a mutually acceptable settlement can be achieved." No formal document has been put forward by the union side even though Unite has been stressing its willingness to achieve savings.