BA strike likely as crew vote down proposal
BRITISH Airways (BA) cabin crew voted overwhelmingly in favour of rejecting the airline’s latest offer, signalling that a further strike is likely.
Up to 81 per cent of crew voted against the offer presented by BA last month after more than 70 per cent of the airline’s 12,500 cabin staff took to the polls.
BA said it was “disappointed but not surprised” by the result and accused Unite, the union representing the crew, of “orchestrating a rejection of a fair offer”.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “We urge Unite to put an end to this unnecessary dispute and focus on the best interests of its members. There can be nothing positive to be gained from further strikes.”
Unite’s joint general secretaries Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson will meet today to discuss what the next move will be, with some fearing that cabin crew could walk off the job for up to 20 days.
Unite said: “BA management should take note of their own employees’ strong rejection of their offer and immediately address the outstanding concerns.”
In March and April BA crew walked off the job for seven days costing the airline roughly £45m.