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Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has attacked the planned strike by British Airways cabin crew staff, calling it "totally unjustified".
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that the strike posed a threat "to the future of one of our great companies in this country".
The dispute is over reduced staffing levels and pay at the airline, with the first strike due to start on 20 March.
The Unite union said Lord Adonis "appears badly informed".
The strike starting on 20 March is due to last for three days, with a second four-day walkout due to begin on 27 March.
"Let's be absolutely clear the stakes are incredibly high in this strike and I absolutely deplore the strike," said Lord Adonis. "It is not only the damage it's going to do to passengers and the inconvenience it's going to cause - which is quite disproportionate to the issues at stake - but also the threat it poses to the future of one of our great companies in this country. It's totally unjustified, this strike, on the merits of the issues at stake, and I do call on the union to engage constructively with the company."
A spokesman for Unite said it and the cabin crew staff "want to avoid strike action", and that it "is always ready to negotiate".
He also called on Lord Adonis to publicly pressure BA to "put back on the table" the settlement offer it made last week.
This offer was withdrawn by BA on Friday after the airline said it was conditional on strike action being averted.
The offer included commitments on working hours and annual pay rises in exchange for the cabin crew workers agreeing to the BA's planned ^62.5m of cost cuts.
"If Lord Adonis is not prepared to speak out, he risks being seen as taking the part of a bullying and intransigent management," added the Unite spokesman.
BA backed Lord Adonis's comments, calling the strike "disproportionate". It said the cabin crew changes it imposed last November were vital cost-cutting measures to secure the airline's future and return it to profitability.
A BA spokesperson said although the company was facing two years of record financial losses, "unlike other businesses, we have avoided compulsory redundancies".
"Cabin crew face no pay cut or reduction in terms and conditions - and remain the best rewarded in the UK airline industry."
Lord Adonis's comments were in contrast to the more conciliatory words used by Alistair Darling on Sunday.
"I am very, very clear that the two sides must get down and try and sort this out without inconveniencing the public or having any adverse impact on the economy," the chancellor told Sky News.
"I'm very clear that strikes, particularly a strike like this, particularly just before the Easter break, is extremely damaging for the travelling public, of course it's damaging to the airline and I think people need to think long and hard about the consequences of what they do."
Meanwhile, Conservative Party chairman Eric Pickles has written to the Prime Minister calling on him to unequivocally condemn the planned strike action.
The Conservatives say Unite has given Labour ^11m over the past four years, and Mr Pickles has called on Labour to suspend its financial relationship with the union until the dispute is settled and the strikes are called off.
Unite has confirmed it will not strike over Easter, but warned there could be further action after 14 April if a resolution with BA is not agreed.
BA boss Willie Walsh said on Friday that the two parties were "not close at all" to coming to an agreement.
The Unite union and its members say the changes are disproportionate.
They also say they hit passenger services, as well as the earnings and career prospects of cabin crew.
Unite says it acknowledges the "need for change", and has proposed its own cost-cutting package, which it says is worth ^63m. BA has rejected this, disputing this figure.
Unite's assistant general secretary Len McCluskey says the airline is "bent on confrontation".
BA says it has trained other staff to do the work of cabin crew teams, and has pledged to fly as many planes as possible should the strike action go ahead.

What a breath of fresh air a labour minister condemning strike action.

Perhaps he's angling to keep his post in a Cameron Government ?

He's said he wouldn't do that

He would say that wouldn't he.

I'm no expert on politics, but if there is a hung parliament after the election with the Tories only having a small majority (which is what most people seem to be predicting), is Cameron obliged to give a percentage of major roles within the Government to persons from other parties?

Can't expect much more action from government than the condemnation of Andrew Adonis.

Labour can't afford to upset its paymasters (UNITE union) so close the a General Election.

I'm no expert on politics, but if there is a hung parliament after the election with the Tories only having a small majority (which is what most people seem to be predicting), is Cameron obliged to give a percentage of major roles within the Government to persons from other parties?

If that's the case, then perhaps Adonis would be an ideal candidate, as he does have cross-party admiration and as a Lord rather than elected MP would be probably seem as 'less Labour' than other ministers?

Just to point out if the tories have a small majority that means you do NOT have a hung parliament.  A hung parliament is when no party has over 50% of the seats.

I'm no expert on politics, but if there is a hung parliament after the election with the Tories [...] is Cameron obliged to give a percentage of major roles within the Government to persons from other parties?

Thanks for that, Tim.  So, if it was to end up in a minority administration, with no minor party wanting to agree to a coalition, then all posts within the Government would still go to that party?  I'm guessing that's unlikely though?

Tories step up attacks over Brown's union links

The Conservatives have stepped up attacks on Gordon Brown over his links with the political director of the union behind the BA strike.
They say Mr Brown should have given Charlie Whelan - his former spokesman - a "wide berth" yet claim he is "at the heart of Labour operations".
Shadow education secretary Michael Gove said Mr Whelan was "a sour influence".
Labour called it "a desperate attempt" to distract voters from the controversy surrounding Tory donor Lord Ashcroft.
Mr Whelan worked as Mr Brown's press secretary while he was chancellor, but resigned in 1999 over leaks surrounding Peter Mandelson's resignation over a home loan.
He is now political director of Unite, Labour's largest donor, which is behind the planned British Airways strike.
On Monday Mr Brown told the BBC the strike was "deplorable" and "unjustified", following similar comments from Transport Secretary Lord Adonis on Sunday.
But, ahead of a general election expected to be held on 6 May, the Conservatives have launched posters questioning the prime minister's links with Unite, with the slogan "Cash Gordon".
In a speech on Tuesday, Mr Gove attacked the influence of Unite - and Mr Whelan in particular - on Labour.
He said: "You would have thought prime ministers with a moral compass, who 'never engage in divisive and partisan politics' who stand on the steps of Downing Street promising to 'reach out beyond narrow party interest' would give figures like Charlie Whelan a particularly wide berth.
"Unfortunately not, because today, Mr Whelan is not just political director at Unite, he is working in Downing Street, masterminding Labour's election campaign."
Mr Gove claimed that "the dead hand of union pressure - and the sour influence of Charlie Whelan" had led to Mr Brown watering down plans for public sector reform.
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers raised the issue of BA in the Commons, asking whether Mr Brown had "spoken directly to Unite officials to urge them to call off the strike".
She also claimed Labour had accepted more than ^300,000 from Unite on the same day that BA announced plans to strike over Christmas.
Transport Minister Sadiq Khan responded by accusing the Conservatives of "seeking to politicise what is an industrial dispute".
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker asked Mr Khan what steps he was taking to "knock heads together" and ensure the dispute was resolved.
Mr Khan said ministers had been in contact with both sides, but it was "unhelpful if we give a running commentary".
A Labour spokesman insisted ministers had been "unequivocal in their criticism of the strike plans by Unite" and that donations from union supporters "do not buy power".
"This is a painfully obvious and desperate attempt by the Tory party to turn the tables on party funding, but the reality is they are the party that has the questions to answer. The great elephant in the room of Lord Ashcroft is not going to go away by this unsubtle attempt to create a smokescreen."
Lord Ashcroft, the Tories' deputy chairman and biggest single donor, announced at the beginning of March that he was a "non dom" - someone who does not pay UK tax on overseas earnings.
As parties step up election campaigning, an ICM poll of 1,002 people for the Guardian found that 44% wanted the general election to result in a hung parliament, in which no party has an overall majority.
Almost a third of those questioned thought a clear Conservative win would be best for Britain, while 18% favoured a definitive Labour victory.

To sum up the last thing this country needs is a hung parliament

BA strike: Airline and Unite union in talks

British Airways' chief executive Willie Walsh and Unite union co-leader Tony Woodley are in last-minute talks to avert this weekend's cabin crew strike.
The two sides were still talking at the TUC headquarters in London into the early evening trying to agree a deal.
BA and Unite began their surprise talks this morning, after which Mr Woodley briefed union officials for an hour.
Speaking to the BBC at lunchtime, Mr Woodley said, "we are together in a room and we are talking".
However, he said that there was still no breakthrough. "It's a very difficult set of negotiations... It's far too early to say that there will be a resolution here."
And he suggested that the BA management might be divided over the way forward. "There are internal battles within BA," he said.
British Airways declined to comment on a report from the Press Association news agency that Mr Walsh had requested the talks.
A BA spokeswoman would not comment on the resumption of negotiations. "We are not giving any running commentary on this issue," she said.
Cabin crew are planning a series of stoppages, starting on Saturday.
The industrial action has been condemned by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as "unjustified and deplorable".
A BA cost-cutting plan that the airline says is necessary to reduce huge losses has been rejected.
A settlement proposal was withdrawn by BA when Unite announced dates for strike action.
Mr Woodley, Unite's joint general secretary, has said that negotiations to resolve the dispute could be re-started if BA put the settlement back on the table. He had previously accused Mr Walsh of preferring a "war" to further negotiations.
That settlement offer had included commitments on working hours and annual pay rises in exchange for the cabin crew workers agreeing to the BA's planned ^62.5m of cost cuts.
Cabin crew plan another four-day walkout beginning on 27 March.
Although the two sides are trying to edge toward a resolution, Unite on Thursday accused BA of bullying its members.
The union said BA had suspended or disciplined 38 crew members for minor infractions, including receiving and forwarding e-mails from private accounts, holding private conversations and making a joke.
A BA spokesman called the allegations "jaded" and said they had no bearing on any possible talks with Unite.
"Cabin crew under the management of Willie Walsh have been victims of a disgraceful witch-hunt," said Unite assistant general secretary Len McCluskey. "The bullying and harassment... shows the lengths BA will go to gag and intimidate cabin crew and destroy trade unionism," he added.
Back-up plans
BA has announced contingency plans that will allow it to fly 65% of its customers during this weekend's industrial action.
A total of 1,100 flights out of the 1,950 scheduled to operate during the first three strike dates will be cancelled.
But all long-haul flights and more than half of short-haul flights from Gatwick are expected to operate as normal.
At Heathrow, more than 60% of long-haul flights will operate, though only 30% of short-haul flights are expected to operate with the help of aircraft leased from eight rival airlines.

BA strike: talks continue into the night

Talks between British Airways and the Unite union aimed at averting strike action have continued into the night.
BA's chief executive Willie Walsh and Unite's joint general secretary Tony Woodley have been in face-to-face talks all day.
But it is still unclear if a deal to avert the strike action by cabin crew is any closer.

BA strike: talks to resume later

Talks between British Airways and the Unite union aimed at averting strike action will resume on Friday, BA's chief executive has said.
Leaving TUC headquarters late on Thursday, Willie Walsh refused to say if talks had made progress on a deal.
Mr Walsh had been in talks with Unite's joint general secretary Tony Woodley for most of the day.
But it is still unclear if a deal to avert the strike action by cabin crew is any closer.

A strike by British Airways cabin crew will go ahead after talks between the airline and the Unite union collapsed.
The three-day walkout begins at midnight, with a further four days of action set to commence on 27 March.
BA chief Willie Walsh said the strike was "deeply regrettable". The airline has said 65% of passengers will reach their destination during the action.
Unite's joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, said that BA "ultimately wants to go to war with this union".

Separately, railway signal workers have voted in favour of strikes in a row over jobs and safety.

Hope not...I've got a trip back to the UK booked with them in May!

BA boss Walsh wants to break union, say 95 academics

Ninety-five employment relations experts have written to a national newspaper accusing British Airways boss Willie Walsh of union-busting.
They tell the Guardian that they can find no other reason for his stance over the airline's industrial dispute with the Unite union.
The academics come from a range of universities from the UK and elsewhere, including Oxford University.
BA rejects the accusation, pointing out it has been in talks for months.
The letter states the signatories have expertise in analysing the causes of industrial disputes and the dynamics of strike action.
"It is clear to us that the actions of the chief executive... are explicable only by the desire to break the union which represents the cabin crew."
It says that a victory for the company would bring "unilateral management prerogative" and an erosion of worker rights and democracy.
In a statement, BA set out several specific rebuttals of the charges.
The airline asked why, if strike-breaking was the aim, it had involved the TUC and the conciliation service Acas to try to reach a negotiated settlement with the union in the dispute with cabin crew.
It also pointed out that Mr Walsh himself had spent three days at the TUC talking with union representatives.
BA is loss-making and facing stiff competition from other airlines and needs to cut costs.
Cabin crew, represented by the Unite union, held a three-day strike last weekend over proposed changes to pay and working conditions. They are preparing for a further four-day strike, set to begin this Saturday.
They have repeatedly called for further talks with BA, and have offered their own programme of cost-reductions.
The dispute has become increasingly fractious, with the union calling BA "bullying and contemptuous" towards its employees.
British Airways said it has lost at least ^21m because of the action.

Government 'weakness' encourages strikes, Cameron says

Conservative leader David Cameron has told the BBC trade unions "scented weakness" in the government's response to Unite's row with British Airways. He said Gordon Brown failed to back non-strikers, although Mr Brown said he wanted "negotiation" to take place.
The comments came as the latest strike by cabin crew entered a second day, with both sides claiming an advantage.
The airline has cancelled 30% of flights from the UK on Sunday, including 42% of Heathrow departures.
So far 131 flights from Heathrow and a small number of flights from Manchester, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow have been cancelled.
But the airline said services from Gatwick Airport and London City Airport would be operating "normally".
Unite has said BA was wasting millions of pounds by paying other airlines to carry its passengers.
Speaking to the BBC's Politics Show, the Conservative leader criticised Prime Minister Gordon Brown for failing to back those cabin crew staff who chose not to strike. He said: "I think a leader should say 'of course, if people want to go to work, they should go to work and I back them going to work'. I think the unions have scented weakness in the government and that's one of the reasons why we're seeing quite so many strikes."
He also referred to the first national rail strike for 16 years - at Network Rail - which is due to start next month.
But Mr Brown told the programme: "We want BA workers to be back at work, so we've said we don't want this strike. But we also want to make it possible for arbitration and negotiation to take place."
He said the number of days lost in industrial disputes under Labour is a 10th of what it was under the last Conservative government.
His comments were echoed by Ed Balls MP, who told the BBC's Andrew Marr show "it was complete and utter nonsense" to say that government was unable to take tough action over the strike because of the Labour party's relationship with the union.
One striker, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the BBC a lot of those on the picket line were single mothers who did not want to be on strike but felt they had no other option. She said staff felt bullied and harassed and felt the company was trying to break the union. She said: "We give our heart and soul to this airline and that's what we're fighting for."
The company has denied the allegations.
Heathrow passenger Josh Philpotts said: "I think the strikers are the ones in the wrong. I just think that in a recession they should be grateful for a job."
But Elizabeth Larnach, whose BA flight to Glasgow was among those cancelled, supported the action and said staff were not paid enough.
BA has said it hopes to fly more than three-quarters of passengers departing from UK airports during the four-day strike, which began on Saturday.
A spokesman said: "The numbers of cabin crew reporting at Heathrow are currently at the levels we need to operate our published schedule."
Boss Willie Walsh said the airline was doing "everything possible" to achieve that and was committed to resolving the dispute.
Unite said with no sign of an agreement over changes to pay and conditions, strike action could continue after Easter, although no further action would be taken before 14 April.
The union's national aviation officer, Brian Boyd, said it was hopeful negotiations could resume before then. "We have a two-week period now over Easter where we have said to the British public that we would not be disrupting Easter holidays for families. But we're hopefully going to be speaking with the company but that'll be down to the company because, at the end of the day, if we have a resolution to this, it has to be negotiated."
On Saturday, the airline cancelled a third of departures - about 90 flights, mainly out of Heathrow.
Passengers in the US have also been experiencing problems, with several flights into and out of New York's JFK airport from Heathrow cancelled.
The dispute centres on BA's cost-cutting plans, including reducing the numbers of cabin crew on long-haul flights.
BA estimates that last week's three-day stoppage cost the company ^21m.

BA strike: talks between airline and union resume

Talks between British Airways and the Unite union aimed at resolving the cabin crew strike have resumed, Unite has said.
Joint general secretary of the union Tony Woodley said "serious progress" had been made and discussions would continue over the next few days.
Cabin crew went on strike for seven days last month over pay and working conditions.
On Wednesday, BA said the strikes cost it between ^40m and ^45m ($61m-$68m).
Unite said talks with BA had resumed over the Easter weekend and are ongoing.
"It is welcome that talks have resumed and I am pleased that some serious progress has been made over the issues that have divided us," said Mr Woodley.
He added that no further strike dates would be set while the talks continued.
In its latest traffic statement for March, BA said it managed to fly 79% of long-haul flights and 58% of short-haul flights during the strikes.
Its monthly traffic figures also showed the airline carried 14.6% fewer passengers than in March last year.
About half of the fall was as a result of planned winter capacity reductions, BA said.
BA and the Unite union are in dispute over the airline's cost-cutting plans, which include reducing the numbers of cabin crew on long-haul flights.
Analysts say BA needs to bring down its costs significantly.
The airline is expected to announce the biggest loss in its privatised history when it reports its annual results later this year. Last year it lost more than ^400m.
The financial impact of the recent strike not only includes lost revenue, but the cost of hiring in planes and crew, as well as buying seats on rival carriers.

^Serious progress^ in union talks with BA

British Airways will be spared a third round of strikes next week after the Unite union reported ^serious progress^ during talks over changes to working practices.

Tony Woodley, the joint leader of Unite, met a BA delegation at the weekend for the first face-to-face talks since seven strike days last month grounded hundreds of flights and cost the airline ^45 million.

Unite threatened a third walkout from April 14, but a source said that no new dates would be set with negotiations to continue over the coming days.

Mr Woodley said: ^I am pleased that some serious progress has been made over the issues which have divided us. However, there is more work to be done, and further discussions will take place with the company over the next few days. I reported to representatives of our cabin crew today and explained that it would be unnecessary to set further strike dates while these talks are continuing and making progress.^

The union insists that travel concessions withdrawn from striking cabin crew members must be reinstated as part of any deal.

It also says that BA must table an offer that is at least as good as the one withdrawn on March 12 when Unite announced strike dates.

From The Times (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article7091075.ece):

BREAKING NEWS: BA cabin crew to strike from May 18-22, May 24-28, May 30-June 3 and June 5-9

British Airways strike dates announced

The British Airways cabin crew union, Unite, has announced fresh strike dates in its long-running dispute with the airline.
Cabin crew will walk out for four separate five-day strikes in May and June.
The first strike will begin on 18 May, ending on 22 May, with the three further strikes beginning on 24 May, 30 May and 5 June.
Unite members rejected a fresh deal for cabin crew earlier this month.
The union said 81% of the cabin crew it represents voted against BA's offer last week, which sought to resolve the dispute over pay and working conditions.
Details of that deal were not given, but Unite said BA had failed to restore the travel perks it withdrew from staff involved in the previous strikes in March.
Those stoppages grounded hundreds of flights and cost BA an estimated ^45m.
The newly-announced strikes will see staff walk out for a total of 20 days, covering spring bank holiday and school half-term holidays.
In a statement, Unite's joint general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley blamed BA for forcing cabin crew to again resort to industrial action.
"There can be no industrial peace without meaningful negotiations and while management victimises trade unionists and uses disciplinary procedures in a witch-hunt," they said, claiming that a Unite approach made over the weekend had been rejected.
"The seven days' notice period is sufficient time for BA management to do the sensible thing and reopen meaningful negotiations," they added.

BA strike: Acas makes formal talks invite to both sides

The Acas conciliation service has made a public offer to both sides in the cabin crew dispute at British Airways.
It is concerned about the length of the current dispute between the company and the Unite union and its effect on the travelling public.
It says that it believes a formal invitation to talks is necessary and that "such discussions must take place urgently".
The venue and timing have yet to be arranged.
Both BA and the Unite union said they were prepared to hold talks.
BA says it would "respond positively" to the invitation. It added it had always said it was available for discussions.
A Unite spokesperson said: "We are ready to meet with BA under any auspices to try to find a solution."
Earlier, the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) appealed to the government to help bring about fresh talks. It said it had written to the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond and the Business Secretary Vince Cable, warning that a wave of strikes from next week would risk jobs.
Mr Hammond has urged them to "hammer out a solution".
Cabin crew will walk out for four separate five-day strikes in May and June.
The first strike is scheduled to begin on 18 May, ending on 22 May, with the three further strikes beginning on 24 May, 30 May and 5 June.
Unite members rejected a fresh deal for cabin crew earlier this month.
Balpa said ministers should work to bring BA boss Willie Walsh and Unite leader Tony Woodley together in a bid to get next week's strikes suspended.
"The last three days have changed the face of British politics with erstwhile political opponents coming together for the common good," said Balpa general secretary Jim McAuslan. "We call on Government to use that political momentum to help solve what are tired 1970s-style industrial relations. Without some of that Cameron/Clegg magic, this dispute will put the future of a great airline at risk and disrupt the lives of thousands of British families."
Mr Hammond told the BBC that BA risked being weakened as an airline. "My call to both the unions and the management today is for people to get back to work," he said. "Let's cancel this strike, let's sit down around the table and hammer out a solution in the interests of passengers, in the interests of the UK economy...and if I may say so, in the long-term interests of the workers involved in this dispute."
The Unite union said there was a turnout of 71% of the cabin crew it represents, and 81% voted against BA's offer last week, which sought to resolve the dispute over pay and working conditions. Details of that deal were not given, but Unite said BA had failed to restore the travel perks it withdrew from staff involved in the previous strikes in March. Those stoppages grounded hundreds of flights and cost BA an estimated ^45m.
The newly-announced strikes will see staff walk out for a total of 20 days, covering spring bank holiday and school half-term holidays.
Football fans planning to fly out to the World Cup in South Africa could also be affected, with the last of the five-day stoppages beginning on the first weekend of the tournament.
However England's first game against the United States kicks off on 12 June, after the final strike has ended.
BA has defended its approach to the latest negotiations saying it had made a fair offer and that the decision to strike showed "a callous disregard" for BA customers and staff.
All flights from Gatwick and London City airports are expected to operate as normal, BA said, while a "substantial" number of long-haul flights from Heathrow will run as planned.
There will be daily flights from Heathrow to all short-haul destinations, BA said, but did not give any numbers.
As with the strikes in March, the airline is also planning to lease extra aircraft from other carriers and re-book passengers on cancelled flights onto other airlines.

BA plans legal action to stop latest strike

BA is planning to take legal action to stop the latest strike by its cabin crew, the company said.

The action comes despite recent pressure for talks from both the conciliation service Acas and the pilots' union, Balpa.

BA will seek an injunction in the High Court on Monday, just 24 hours before the first of four five-day walkouts is due to be held.

Earlier on Friday, Acas made a public offer to both sides to hold talks.

BA said in a statement: "The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 requires unions to send everyone eligible to vote details of the exact breakdown of the ballot result."

It went on: "We do not believe Unite properly complied with this requirement. We wrote to the general secretaries of the union yesterday asking them to explain to us how they discharged this obligation and, based on Unite's replies, we believe that they failed to comply with the legal requirement."

Minister to seek end to BA dispute

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond is to meet both sides in the British Airways dispute to urge them to resume talks to prevent cabin crew strikes.
Mr Hammond will speak to leaders of the Unite union and BA executives on Monday, hours before the first of four five-day walkouts are due to start.
BA says it plans legal action on Monday to stop the latest strike, claiming Unite failed to comply with the law.
Unite says the strike - over jobs, pay and staffing - was legally balloted.
The High Court action comes despite pressure for talks from both the conciliation service Acas and the pilots' union, Balpa. BA and Unite have said they are prepared to meet.
A Department for Transport spokesman said Mr Hammond would meet both sides separately to urge a settlement.
Mr Hammond, whose Runnymede and Weybridge constituency is close to Heathrow airport, described the strike as "extremely bad news" for BA, its passengers and employees. "I understand how difficult it can be when people's jobs have to change, but a prolonged series of strikes will weaken the company and put those jobs at risk," he said. "Aviation is a challenging market and BA must remain competitive, so this strike will ultimately be self-defeating. I urge both parties to resolve their dispute to avoid disruption to passengers and safeguard the future of British Airways."
Cabin crew are due to walk out for four separate five-day strikes in May and June.
The first is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, ending on 22 May, with the three further strikes beginning on 24 May, 30 May and 5 June.
BA has urged its staff to volunteer to work during the strike.
The airline will seek a High Court injunction to stop the strikes on Monday, on the grounds that unions are required by law to send everyone eligible to vote details of the exact breakdown of the ballot result.
"We wrote to the general secretaries of the union yesterday asking them to explain to us how they discharged this obligation and, based on Unite's replies, we believe that they failed to comply with the legal requirement," it said in a statement.
BA is using as an example Network Rail's successful legal challenge against maintenance and signal workers, when the RMT union was found to have balloted staff in signal boxes that had closed.
A Unite spokesman said it would "vigorously defend" the ballot. "We have already responded to the company, and notified them that we have fully complied with the law. The only way to settle this long-running dispute is through negotiation. A solution is not to be found in the courtroom," he said.
BA took legal action to halt a planned 12-day strike over Christmas.
Meanwhile, Balpa has written to both Mr Hammond and Business Secretary Vince Cable to warn that a wave of strikes from next week would risk jobs.
Its general secretary Jim McAuslan described the dispute as "tired 1970s-style industrial relations".
Referring to the new coalition government, he said: "Without some of that Cameron/Clegg magic, this dispute will put the future of a great airline at risk and disrupt the lives of thousands of British families."
The two sides have been in dispute for over a year over cost-cutting plans, including staff reductions on flights.
Unite held seven days of action in March and recently ran an online ballot of its members which resulted in rejection of an offer by BA aimed at resolving the dispute.
The union recommended rejection of the deal because BA had not fully restored travel concessions taken away from those who went on strike in March, and because dozens of staff have been suspended.
Unite has said there was a turnout of 71% of the cabin crew it represents, and 81% voted against BA's offer, details of which have not been revealed.
March's stoppages grounded hundreds of flights and cost BA an estimated ^45m.
BA has defended its approach to the latest negotiations, saying it had made a fair offer and that the decision to strike showed "a callous disregard" for BA customers and staff.

BA and union to start talks in bid to avert strikes

Talks between British Airways and union leaders are due to take place on Monday in a bid to avert a series of strikes by cabin crew.
It comes after BA announced it would take legal action on the same day to try to stop the latest strikes, arguing Unite had failed to comply with law.
Unite says the strike - over jobs, pay and staffing - was legally balloted.
However, the union says it will consider cancelling the first strike if volcanic ash shuts UK airspace again.
The Department of Transport has warned of more disruption from Sunday because of ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland.
Some of the UK's busiest airports in south-east England could be affected until Tuesday, when the first strike is due to begin.
Tony Woodley, the joint general secretary of Unite, told the BBC he would "seriously consider" calling it off.
"You would have to be stupid to want to ground planes that are going nowhere anyway," he said.
Cabin crew are due to walk out for four separate five-day strikes in May and June.
The first is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, ending on 22 May, with the three further strikes beginning on 24 May, 30 May and 5 June.

BA wins High Court ban on cabin crew strikes

British Airways has won a High Court injunction to stop the latest strikes by its cabin staff.

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

The first of four five-day walkouts had been due to begin at midnight, but will not go ahead following Mr Justice McCombe's decision.

The union has said it will appeal against the injunction decision.

BA boss Willie Walsh said he hoped the injunction would now give those involved in the dispute time to pause and reflect on the issues.

Meanwhile Unite joint leader Tony Woodley said "irrespective of how many technicalities the company found" it would not stop the union balloting its members again.

Unite: BA strikes to restart Monday

British Airways cabin crew strikes will be back on from Monday after the Unite union won its appeal against BA's injunction. One employment lawyer tells Channel 4 News the ruling will not stop other companies from using the courts to try and halt industrial action.

Two out of three Appeal Court judges agreed to overrule the injunction this morning, clearing the way for strikes to go ahead from next week. BA cabin crew will strike for five days from Monday.

The High Court had blocked the strikes on a technicality - that the union had failed to give full details of the result of its strike ballot, including the fact that there had been 11 spoilt papers.

Twenty days of strike action will now begin on Monday 24 May, running intermittently until 9 June and threatening to disrupt the travel plans of those hoping to go to the World Cup in South Africa.

Strike details
24-28 May: BA will operate as normal from Gatwick and London City, Heathrow will operate at 60 per cent longhaul capacity and 50 per cent shorthaul. BA plans to serve 70 per cent of passengers overall.

Unite has also planned strikes for 30 May-3 June and 5-9 June. BA advises all customers to check its website on a regular basis.

Speaking outside the High Court after today's hearing, Mr Simpson, said BA had been "irresponsible" in bringing the injunction. The verdict gave the opportunity to re-open negotiations in the hope of reaching a settlement and avoiding the strike.

"What I would say to members of the public is that we are not going on strike to upset them. We are negotiating as best we can to prevent any disruption to them," he said.

BA's offer to end the original dispute - over planned reductions to on-board staffing levels - could be workable, said Mr Simpson. But there were now two "impediments" to a settlement: the withdrawal of travel concessions to staff involved in the action and the suspension of 50-60 members - and the dismissal of another eight - over what in many cases were "trivial and minor matters".

He said the union was ready to re-open negotiations immediately.

"Our colleagues who work for British Airways cabin crew aren't madhat strikers - head-bangers," he said "They are a decent people. They are intelligent and articulate people - and they have voted overwhelmingly twice to take part in what is, for them, an unprecedented industrial action. That has got to tell you that there is a breakdown in relationships between the workforce and the management."

Willie Walsh, BA's chief executive, said he was "disappointed" by the verdict. In a statement on YouTube, he said: "Naturally I'm disappointed at the outcome of the court today. I fully respect the decision, however I make no apologies for going to the court in the first place. I've made it clear to everybody that I will explore every avenue. I will look at every option that's available to us to try and protect our customers from the actions of this trade union."

The Appeal Court judges were divided in their findings, with the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, and Lady Justice Smith allowing the appeal, while the Master of the Rolls, Lord Neuberger, voted for rejection.

Lord Judge said the dispute must be resolved by negotiation.

"Legal processes do not constitute mediation," he said. "On the contrary, they often serve to inflame, rather than mollify, the feelings of those involved."

He said that BA's lawyers had "failed to persuade me that what was done (by Unite) was insufficient to amount to compliance with the requirements".

Industrial relations lawyers say it will be a hard lesson for unions, and will do little to discourage the rising number of companies seeking legal action over strikes.

Marc Meryon, industrial relations partner at Bircham Dyson Bell, said the ruling would serve as a reminder that "the law only gets involved if they (the unions) get it wrong", he said.

High profile cases such as this and Network Rail's, are paving the way to a climate of legal challenges from companies, experts say.

Network Rail successfully blocked an RMT rail strike in April through court action, while the National Union of Journalists was forced to call off a strike after Johnston Press secured a High Court injunction this week.

Andy Cook, chief executive of the specialist employee relations advisers Marshall-James, said: "It's a shame that we seem to heading down the American route - where there are more lawyers involved."

While companies are certainly more enthusiastically pursuing legal action, all it does is delay strikes, said Mr Meryon. "In a way today's ruling is good news - it has brought to it to a head."

Indeed, Mr Cook says a resolution between BA and Unite is long overdue. "BA is dealing with the legacy of the past - previous management were not wanting to deal with issues, but now the money's not there, so they have no choice," said Mr Cook.

BA will be hoping that at some point workers will cross the picket lines as not working begins to hit their pockets, he said.

Mr Meryon said the ruling would have little impact on companies, save reminding them that they need to build a strong case to succeed with legal action.