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ARCHIVED - British Airways ground staff vote for strikes at Heathrow this summer
Check-in staff and ground-handling crew are demanding a wage increase
British Airways (BA) check-in staff and ground-handling crew have voted overwhelmingly to go on strike at Heathrow Airport this summer after talks over wage increases have reached a stalemate.
The airline’s ground staff are demanding a reversal of the 10% pay cut they took at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when some 13,000 workers were let go by the carrier, allegedly heaping even more pressure on the remaining employees.
BA has responded by offering a one-off 10% bonus but this has been roundly rejected.
"With grim predictability, holidaymakers face massive disruption thanks to the pig-headedness of British Airways," Nadine Houghton, of the GMB staff union, said in a statement.
"GMB members at Heathrow have suffered untold abuse as they deal with the travel chaos caused by staff shortages and IT failures. At the same time, they've had their pay slashed during BA's callous fire and rehire policy," she said.
"What did BA think was going to happen?"
No dates have yet been set for the strike action, with both the GMB and Unite unions hoping that BA will come up with a better offer for staff, but if it goes ahead it is expected to happen at the end of July and August.
A BA spokesperson responded to the news of the strike action: "We're extremely disappointed with the result and that the unions have chosen to take this course of action.
"Despite the extremely challenging environment and losses of more than £4bn, we made an offer of a 10% payment which was accepted by the majority of other colleagues.
"We are fully committed to work together to find a solution, because to deliver for our customers and rebuild our business we have to work as a team.
"We will of course keep our customers updated about what this means for them as the situation evolves."
BA is just the latest airline to add to the travel chaos that has been plaguing airports for months and spoiling holiday plans for thousands. Ryanair cabin crew all across Spain begin their industrial action today (June 24) which will initially last for six days overall, and next week, easyJet flight attendants are set to stage a walk out at the company’s three Spanish bases at Malaga, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.
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