BA strike: Willie Walsh ‘wants to break the union’

Nearly 100 academics have written to the Guardian to support the Unite union in its strike against British Airways. The letter is highly critical of the airline's CEO Willie Walsh and his "macho management strategy".

The academics claim that Walsh is attempting to "break the union": "What other possible interpretation can there be for Willie Walsh rejecting Unite's acceptance of BA's previous offer or indeed of his marshalling of resources, including those of bitter industry rival Ryanair, to undermine the action of his staff?" they write.

The academics, most of them employment relations experts at British universities, warn that should Walsh succeed, there will be "a race to the bottom in terms of working conditions and job quality" in the airline industry.

Walsh has so far enjoyed backing from across the political spectrum and the media for his stand against BA cabin crew, who have been vilified over the past weeks for taking strike action to protest the airline's plans to cut the number of air stewards on long-haul flights. Well-paid for the industry they work in, they have been accused of misjudging the public mood by fighting the kind of cuts which have been suffered by people at other companies hit by the recession.

Even the Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the strikes are "deplorable and unjustified" – in a clear sign that Labour was worried the party's financial links with the unions could be a factor in the upcoming general election. However, the  academics accused Brown of misjudging the workers' "justifiable anger".

They could be right. Opinion polls show last weekend's strike has had little effect on support for the Labour party, suggesting the public at large isn't quite as annoyed with BA cabin crew as those interviewed on TV after having their flights cancelled.

The letter comes a day after BA was accused by Unite of being "vindictive" for removing valuable travel perks from striking crew members. BA staff and their family enjoy free air travel around the world – but these are not laid out in any contract.

With another cabin crew walkout planned for this weekend and Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary keen to help BA beat Unite, this industrial action could prove to be long, divisive and very, very bitter. ·