BA strikes: Management ups its bullying as the dispute goes international With strikes at BA looming this weekend, management have furthered its attacks on the workforce, while the airline faces international solidarity with BA workers. With an election on the horizon, both main parties are attempting to outdo each other by attacking the BA cabin crew looking to defend their terms and conditions. Gordon Brown, whose party's biggest donor is the Unite union, has called the strike “unjustified and deplorable”. The Tories, damaged by revelations over the embarrassing tax-dodging of their major donor, Lord Ashcroft, have claimed labour is hobbled by powerful unions, "the new militant tendency". Meanwhile, the media and business has clamoured for the government to stop the strike, which has a huge democratic mandate from Unite members. BA management have upped the stakes by threatening to sack Unite shop stewards at the heart of the dispute. Seven members of Bassa (Unite's cabin crew branch) face disciplinary charges over their role, charges which BA has refused to drop in the course of negotiations.