LONDON: The trade union representing British Airways workers said Friday it would hold a fresh ballot on strike action early next year after BA secured an injunction preventing a planned Christmas stoppage.

Plans for a 12-day walkout by cabin crew over the festive season had to be scrapped Thursday when the High Court ruled that the ballot was invalid because it included workers who had already accepted voluntary redundancy.

This time, the Unite trade union has asked BA to provide it with the names of all employees who will be leaving its employment up to the end of April.

"Unite intends to ballot its cabin crew members employed by you on whether they wish to take industrial action," the union said in its letter to BA.

"This ballot will be conducted early in the new year...

"Kindly confirm the names, leaving dates and employee number, of those employees who will be leaving the company's employment between now and the end of April."

In response, BA said it was "extremely disappointed but not surprised" at the news of a re-ballot.

"We have always said that a strike is unnecessary," it added. "We would urge Unite to accept our invitation to come and discuss the issues with us rather than punish our customers."

Had the Christmas strike gone ahead, it would have hit the travel plans of up to a million BA passengers over the festive season, when many people travel to see relatives.