22.02.10
British Airways face a strike threat after cabin crew voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in a dispute over pay and working practices. Unite said that 78.8% of the 11,691 ballot papers issued were returned. Of those 80.7% (7,482) supported taking action with 15.3% (1,789) voting against it.
However, support was lower than in an earlier ballot in December last year, which had a higher turnout and saw 92.4% of those voting backing a strike. That vote, which would have led to 12 days of stoppages over Christmas and New Year, was deemed illegal by the High Court.
Unite said it would not be announcing strike dates in the immediate future as it planned to continue negotiations with BA management. Legally, the union must give 7 days notice of strike action - meaning strikes could begin from the first week of March. Unite has already said that there will not be stoppages over the busy Easter period, although an online poll of BA staff has suggested that it is something they would back, and that they wanted a long (10 day) strike period.
An airline spokesman said some progress had been made during recent talks with the union and that it would do everything it could to protect passengers' travel plans should strikes take place. Reports yesterday suggest that 3500 non cabin crew staff have agreed to help the airline in the event of a strike. It is also reported to be planning to wet lease planes and crew from rival airlines.
BA has also offered a disincentive to staff thinking of striking, threatening to take away generous travel perks for workers who do strike, which would hit those living away from their home base - often abroad - and commuting on BA flights to work particularly hard. It also said that it will assume any staff member who calls in sick during the strike has backed the action.
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