New strike ballot for BA cabin crew

Unite members employed as British Airways cabin crew are to be balloted for a third round of strike action next week.

Unite, is expected to notify BA of the vote - walk-outs could begin as soon as August 3rd.


While the £62.5m ($92.3m) cost-saving programme that sparked the dispute has all but been resolved, the conflict is now centred on measures introduced by BA since the strikes began.

Unite is demanding the full reinstatement of travel perks for staff participating in the strike and the withdrawal of disciplinary action against 70 cabin crew members. It has also accused BA of creating an “unworkable environment” by disregarding the agreements with the union and by using staff employed elsewhere by the airline to do cabin crew’s jobs on reduced terms. The measures are widely seen as an attempt by BA to fundamentally alter the power balance with the union.

A solid majority of 92 per cent and 81 per cent of cabin crew union members have voted in favour of industrial action in the two polls since December last year.

In a recent letter to cabin crew, Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, joint general secretaries of Unite, outlined three areas of dispute: using volunteer air stewards, depriving strikers who joined walkouts in March of their concessionary travel, and "vindictive" disciplinary action taken against at least 70 flight attendants since the dispute began.

"It has become apparent that the company's continued refusal to reinstate staff travel concessions for striking members and its vindictive disciplinary measures against Unite members raises new items of dispute," said Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson.