Deal or No Deal

The Independent reports that the head of the Transport and General Workers' Union, Tony Woodley, is to face the wrath of British Airways cabin crew furious at the way they believe the union leadership "sold out" in last week's deal to avert a strike.

Mr Woodley, the union's general secretary, had been due to appear today before a mass meeting of cabin crew at a hotel near Heathrow to defend the settlement, but it has been delayed for a week in an attempt to allow tempers to cool.

Members of the British Airways Stewards and Stewardesses Association (Bassa), a branch of the T&G, are angry at what they see as the failure of union negotiators to extract sufficient concessions from the airline's management. The nine-strong Bassa branch committee voted 6-3 to accept the deal and two of those who voted against the deal, the convenor Nigel Stott and deputy convenor Chris Harrison, have subsequently resigned their posts.

The union leadership defends the settlement as ".... the best that could be achieved by negotiation..." and that "...the vast majority of cabin crew were relieved and pleased the issue has been resolved..."

A ballot of the union membership was held for the authority to call the strike . A vote should be conducted on whether to accept or reject the agreement . Is there going to be one ?