国际英语新闻：British Airways wins court battle to block cabin crew strikes

LONDON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- British Airways (BA) won a High Court legal battle on Monday to avert cabin crew strikes that were due to start on Tuesday.

The decision was based on a technicality and whether the UNITE union followed rules in contacting its members with strike result details.

The union said it would appeal against the injunction decision. But BA said it was delighted that the "extreme and unjustified" strike could not go ahead.

BA argued that UNITE had not "properly complied" with the requirement to "sent everyone eligible to vote (on industrial action) details of the exact breakdown of the ballot result".

British Airways (BA) aircraft tailfins are seen at Heathrow Airport in west London May 11, 2010. British Airways won a High Court legal battle on Monday to avert cabin crew strikes that were due to start on Tuesday.

The airline is facing mounting chaos because of the industrial dispute, coupled with a volcanic ash cloud that has forced flights cancellations.

Members of UNITE were due to walk out from May 18 to 22 inclusive, then from May 24 to 28, May 30 to June 3 and June 5 to 9. The last strike is to end just days before the start of the football World Cup in South Africa.

The dispute revolves around pay, jobs and working practices, including staffing levels on flights.