Judges delay appeal ruling on BA strike

British Airways passengers have been given a breathing space of at least another 36 hours after senior judges said they would not decide before Thursday morning whether a crew walkout would be illegal. Unite, the trade union that represents over 90% of BA cabin crew, was furious on Monday after a high court judge ruled that a planned 20-day strike would be unlawful. Branding the decision "an absolute disgrace" that ranked as "a landmark attack on free trade unionism", Unite swiftly lodged an appeal this morning at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The country's most senior judge, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, chaired a three-member panel to decide whether to overturn the judgment and let the strike carry on as planned. Unite had originally intended to begin 20 days of strike action this morning but was forced to call it off after the decision by Mr Justice McCombe on Monday. After three-and-a-half-hours of arguments from counsel for Unite and BA , the judges reserved their decision until 9.30am on Thursday.