British Airways cabin crew vote to strike over low pay
Thousands of British Airways (BA) workers have voted overwhelmingly to go on strike in a row over pay, a move that is likely to disrupt a large number of flights over the Christmas holiday season.
On Wednesday, over 2,000 of the airline’s cabin crew voted 4 to 1 in favor of a walkout at London’s Heathrow Airport, which could begin as early as December 21, the Unite union said without mentioning the exact date.
According to Unite, workers who joined the airline in 2010 are getting paid less than the rest of the staff.
The action came after the cabin crew rejected a 2-percent raise in their salaries, which Unite said were supposed to be between £21,000 and £25,000 annually but, in reality, started at just over £12,000 plus £3 an hour flying pay.
The turnout for the vote was 60 percent, of which 79 percent voted for the strike, Unite added, noting that the airline would get seven days notice of strike once the dates are finalized.
Unite represents some 2,500 workers out of BA’s so-called Mixed Fleet, which comprises 4,500 workers in total and makes up a little over a quarter of the company's 16,000 cabin crew.
“Our members have overwhelmingly voted for strike action because British Airways' pay rates are indefensible and the crew are at breaking point,” said Unite regional officer Matt Smith.
“Mixed Fleet crew earn just over the minimum wage and below the national average. Significant numbers of crew are taking on second jobs, many go to work unfit to fly because they can't afford to be sick. British Airways bosses need to wake up to the anger and the injustice here,” he added.
In response, BA said that it was “extremely disappointed” by the move as it created “uncertainty” for the customers.
A spokesman for the company downplayed the walkout, saying Unite only represented 15 percent of the company’s cabin crew.
He said the airline had offered “a fair and reasonable pay increase” and was working to resolve the issue.
The strike would further cripple Britain’s public transportation, as the country remains in the grip of a much larger walkout by Southern Rail staff that has caused chaos for hundreds of thousands of travelers.
Southern warned on Wednesday afternoon that services would continue to be “severely disrupted” on Thursday, as talks to end the dispute over payments continue.
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