Summer of discontent as BA staff back strikes
Misery ahead for holidaymakers
THE threat of a strike by thousands of British Airways staff risks adding to a summer of misery for travellers.
A consultative ballot by Unite, which represents 16,000 BA workers, has received 97% backing for potential industrial action over a pay row.
Hundreds of BA check-in staff at Heathrow are also voting on whether to strike as part of a separate pay dispute.
Unions blame BA’s “disastrous” fire and rehire scheme, in which the airline shed 10,000 staff, for shortages that have led BA to cancel 16,500 flights over the spring and summer.
A Unite spokeswoman said:
“To anyone that has flown on British Airways recently, this overwhelming consultative ballot result will come as no surprise. BA customers know first hand that the airline is in chaos.
“Despite BA claiming hundreds of millions of pounds of furlough pay from government, thousands of experienced staff were dismissed and not replaced.
“Staff are no longer willing to excuse, or pay the price for, poor management decisions.” A BA spokesman said: “After a deeply difficult two years which saw the business lose more than £4bn, we still offered payments to colleagues for this year.”
Oliver Richardson, from Unite, told MPs on the Business Committee that staffing issues were likely to persist into the summer holiday season as the Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority urged firms to review summer timetables. Airlines were also accused of “flouting” passengers’ rights on cancellations. Sue Davies, of Which?, told MPs customers were finding it “incredibly difficult” to get replacement flights or compensation. A GMB union poll found 75% of aviation staff had been physically or verbally abused at work. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has warned summer fares will be 7% to 9% higher than pre-pandemic levels.