Unite general secretary Tony Woodley, said Tuesday that the assertion made by Willie Walsh Monday that Unite failed to attend talks at ACAS last weekend to resolve the BA dispute is false.

MAIN FACTS:

-Woodley said, "Derek Simpson and I were in continual contact with ACAS over the weekend to explain our position on the dispute and at no time was it ever suggested that we should attend a meeting, nor that Mr Walsh was expecting one."

-Woodley said, "Monday, ACAS asked Unite if we would suspend our strikes if BA put their withdrawn offer back on the table. We said yes. And it asked BA if they would reinstate their offer if we called off the strikes. The company said no."

-British Airways shares at 1641 GMT up 10.6 pence, or 4.5%, at 246.0 pence.

-By Iain Packham, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9269; iain.packham@dowjones.com