British Airways and replace them with agency staff; it is estimated that the strike cost British Airways £30 million and caused disruption to 100,000 passengers. In October 2006, BA became involved in a civil rights dispute when a Christian employee was forbidden to wear a necklace bearing the cross, a religious symbol. BA's practice of forbidding such symbols has been publicly questioned by British politicians such as the former Home Secretary John Reid and the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. Relations have been turbulent between BA and Unite. In 2007, cabin crew threatened strike action over salary changes to be imposed by
Chris Brown (British Army officer) returned to Allied Rapid Reaction Corps as Chief of Staff. He became the last General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland in 2008: The post was downgraded to that of a Brigadier when Brown left in 2009. In March 2009 he was deployed as Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General, Multinational Force, Iraq and in 2010 he became the Iraq Compendium Study Team Leader. He retired from the Army in 2010. After retiring from military service, Brown worked as an advisor to the African Union on security for the 2011 South Sudanese independence referendum. He now works for the Brenthurst