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
John W. Brown (British trade unionist) having him promoted to become joint general secretary. In 1927, Brown uncovered evidence which, he claimed, showed that European trade unions were intriguing against the British unions, which wished to bring Russian trade unions into the organisation. The TUC argued that Brown should be elected as sole general secretary, but this was not accepted. In the face of an impasse, both Brown and another general secretary, Jan Oudegeest, chose to resign. John W. Brown (British trade unionist) John William Brown (born 1886) was a British trade union leader and political activist. He came to greatest prominence as general secretary of