British Airways cabin crew vote 'overwhelmingly' for a strike

British Airways cabin crew vote 'overwhelmingly' for a strike

by B .N. Sullivan

For the second time in recent months British Airways (BA) cabin crew have voted in favor of striking. Although no date has been set for the industrial action, the cabin crew union, Unite, announced that the most recent balloting "resulted in another overwhelming vote for strike action in the long-running dispute over imposed changes to crew numbers and working practices."

According to Unite: 80.7 per cent of all those who returned their ballot forms voted yes to industrial action on a 78.7 per cent turnout. 7,482 of crew members balloted voted yes with 1,789 crew voting no; 11,691 ballot papers were issued.

In a statement to the press, Unite assistant general secretary Len McCluskey spoke of the "deep sense of grievance" British Airways cabin crew feel about their treatment by their employer.

"Our members are not mindless militants but men and women committed to their company and their profession, so it is right that they want to be consulted on changes to their jobs, McCluskey said. "The only way forward for this airline is if all parties can negotiate a solution to the issues before us. In recent weeks we have been in serious discussion with BA. We sincerely hope that the continued strength of the vote by crew will give BA pause for thought."

The union notes that while most -- 75 per cent -- of BA's cabin earn only £20,000 at the top of their earnings, the dispute is not about pay. The dispute was triggered by the imposition in November 2009 by BA of new working practices. Says Unite:

Cabin crew are concerned that the reduced crew will impact on service standards but are also very worried that BA's refusal to consult on these changes means that the company has broken with the long-standing negotiating structures, which have delivered significant flexibility to the company including changes needed following 9/11 and the SARS outbreak.

A previous strike ballot this past December was ruled invalid by the British High Court because because it had included cabin crew who had already agreed to take voluntary redundancy.