BA crew to strike
British Airways cabin crew plan to hold seven days of strikes later this month following the break down of talks with management over changes to pay and working conditions.
Unite, the union that represents 30,000 BA cabin crew at the airline, says workers will walk out for three days from 20 March and a further four days from 27 March.
BA has said it is “extremely disappointed” at the union’s decision, saying it would cause massive disruption for hundreds of thousands of travellers in the run-up to the Easter holidays.
The airline has launched a reassurance camapaign to inform passengers about possible disruption and detail alternative travel plans via its digital platform, a direct email campaign, and Twitter.
In an attempt to minimise the disruption caused by the walkouts the airline has trained 1,000 workers from other departments to stand in for cabin crew if the strikes go ahead.
BA is also attempting to obtain seats on flights operated by rival airlines to pass on to its own customers and said in a statement “we will do everything we can to protect our customers’ travel plans as far as possible.”
A new offer made by BA on Thursday is still to be put to a vote which could mean strike action could be called off, but Unite assistant general secretary Len McCluskey warns the offer falls short of union demands and leaders would not be recommending a favourable vote.
BA workers faced a backlash for threatening strike action during the Christmas period and so Unite has stuck by a pledge not to hold a strike over the busy Easter period.
BA won a court order stopping the planned Christmas strike on a technicality over irregularities in the union’s balloting of workers on the walkout.
