Originally Posted by makin'miles

Answers to your questions are mostly quite simple:

1) The union would pay the flights home, from a strike fund.
2) On whichever carrier can be booked reasonably (many carriers fly to London).
3) Other union members will continue to work, and be paid. They aren't blind either, and if they are really motivated to make this work, I can't see this being a problem.
4) If executed properly, the staff will only notify the airline that they are walking off the job an hour or so before flight departure time, so BA will have paid the accommodation costs. They then grab a cab for the airport and head home, while BA sorts out the mess.
5) Visa status is a fair question. I imagine its pretty manageable, but this would obviously affect where the union could pull staff off downroute (although downroute is also Manchester or Aberdeen or Glasgow).