British Airways Strike Nears after Negotiations Collapse
Strike negotiations have collapsed again between British Airways and Unite, the trade union that represents the carrier’s cabin crew. The airline rejected the cost-saving package proposed by the union, which means that the strike is that much closer to becoming a reality.
British Airways released a statement explaining the rejection. They said that their package for cutting costs includes minor changes to flight crew numbers, saving them £62.5 million per year. Unite’s package included a 2.6% pay cut for this year and saved less money. The airline pointed out that their plan didn’t involve an earnings reduction for existing crew, which would be unfair for crew at Gatwick, where there haven’t been any changes in crew numbers made. They added that the proposal from the union will save significantly less.
Sources with Unite are accusing British Airways of failing to have good faith in negotiations, saying that the airline appears to take a step back every time the union takes a step forward. So now the union has until Monday to choose strike dates, as well as give the carrier a 7-day ahead of time notice. This means that the action may start as early as next Friday. Unite has already agreed that the action won’t occur over Easter break, but anyone that plans to travel before the end of the month is at risk of their plans being disrupted.
To help reduce the impact of the strike on its passengers, British Airways has trained at least 1,000 volunteer staff to take the place of striking cabin crew on long-haul flights. The carrier is also wet leasing 20 aircraft and crew to operate short-haul flights from Heathrow Airport.
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