BA branding ‘will be damaged’ by strikes

An academic report prepared for the UK’s largest trade union has warned management at British Airways (BA) that the company’s employer branding and profile with consumers may be harmed by the current dispute with cabin crew.

In the article prepared for Unite, Professor Martin Upchurch from the Middlesex University Business School stated that BA’s image could be damaged by "an embedded culture of bullying and authoritarianism deliberately engineered from the top echelons of the company".

Furthermore, Professor Upchurch believes the long-running dispute could also be "potentially disastrous" for the morale of the crew and stressed that if it is to offer a high-quality service trying to compete for business passengers, it would have to display the right attitude to customers.

Meanwhile, BA’s passenger numbers carried in May fell by 14.2 per cent from a year ago, with 14 days of the month affected by industrial action.

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If a resolution cannot be found, staff are set to begin a third five-day stoppage on Saturday.

By Hayley Edwards