Union boss can’t call off BA pilot strike – because he’s on holiday!
THE union boss leading a pilots’ strike threatening the plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers was last night accused of delaying talks by going on holiday.
Brian Strutton, the general secretary of Balpa, is believed to be enjoying a European cruise ahead of his 60th birthday.
His members at British Airways have left passengers in travel limbo after announcing three days of industrial action next month.
Unhappy with a three-year pay deal worth 11.5 per cent, they are threatening to ground the fleet out of Heathrow, Gatwick, other UK airports and many more around the world.
Senior managers at the airline accuse Mr Strutton of hampering their efforts to resolve the dispute by travelling overseas. And the disappearance of the union boss, who earns more than £140,000 a year, will fuel the anger of those facing travel misery.
Balpa insisted Mr Strutton’s senior colleagues were available to continue the talks.
BA sources said they shook hands with Mr Strutton on a threeyear pay deal worth 11.5 per cent on the basis it would be recommended to pilots.
However, union bosses subsequently rejected the offer.
One woman wrote on Balpa’s Twitter feed: ‘Pure greed. Ruined my holiday and will miss a family wedding.’ Another said: ‘Ruining families and children’s holidays for pure greed is the lowest of the low.’
The action by the pilots would cancel more than 850 flights on each strike day – September 9, 10 and 27 – and ruin the travel plans of 450,000 people.
There will also be disruption for some flights on surrounding days. Passengers are also furious with the way BA has handled the crisis.
The situation was made worse when thousands of passengers were sent cancellation emails for flights on either side of the strike days in error.
A second email rescinded the cancellations hours later, but not before many took the trouble and expense of booking new trips. One traveller said his tenyear wedding anniversary ‘trip of a lifetime’ was in doubt. Scott Kishere, a filmmaker, said: ‘My wife and I have been told that our flight to Toronto has been cancelled. I have made over 100 attempts to contact them for a refund and they’re not answering. Until we get a refund, we do not have the money to rebook our trip of a lifetime.’
Consumer rights expert at Which?, Adam French, said the issue had caused ‘a lot of confusion and anxiety’.
He added: ‘British Airways must now put all resources necessary into sorting out this mess as soon as possible.’ BA said: ‘We’re extremely sorry that some of our customers are having difficulties trying to re-arrange their flights. Our teams have been working tirelessly to help as many of our customers as possible, in these unprecedented circumstances.’ Balpa also apologised to travellers, but said it had no alternative but to announce the strike dates after it became clear pilots would not accept BA’s final pay offer.
‘A lot of confusion and anxiety’