They've allowed management to take the moral high ground with boardroom efforts to keep 60pc of customers flying, come what may. Naturally Willie Walsh, BA chief executive, cannot admit to wanting to provoke a strike. But things are certainly going his way as far as the long term aim of ending the union's stranglehold over change and rationalisation at the company is concerned. Once in full control he can turn his attention to extracting cost savings and synergies out of planned mergers with Iberia and American Airlines while getting to grips with perennial loss makers such as BA's short haul operations.   Related Articles BA strike union steps up help for Brown Mayday! BA goes into a tailspin Willie Walsh adopts the brace position at BA Strikes: breakthrough in foreign workers dispute BA axes free meals from short-haul flights to save money Holidaymakers face disruption over airport strike threat But the unions have lost political support too. Gordon Brown has sided with voters (no surprise) and called the strike action "unjustified and deplorable" without actually naming and shaming his union paymasters at Unite.[Read more...]