Creating a sustainable work environment in British Airways: implications of the 2010 cabin crew dispute.

The author was asked by the union Unite to prepare a short report recording the employee relations strategy of BA and to assess the implications of this strategy for the current dispute with cabin crew. In order to undertake this task it was felt by the author that some initial discussion on work sustainability within large successful corporations was necessary to set the context for BA�s strategic choice with regard to industrial relations within the company. This is followed by a short review of extant academic literature on BA�s and other airlines industrial relations approaches, particularly with respect to the full service carrier (FCC), low cost carrier (LCC) debate. The current approach of BA management towards the cabin crew dispute was then recorded, and an analysis proffered of the likely outcomes of this approach in terms of its effects on employee commitment, customer service, safety and profitability.