BA staff vote to strike

Friday, 13 August 2004 12:00 AM

The GMB union has announced that its members have voted for strike action, bringing the possibility of summer chaos for holidaymakers.

On a 48.6 per cent turnout, its members voted by 53 per cent for strike action against British Airways in the long-running dispute over pay.

GMB's members include baggage handlers, check-in staff and administration workers.

Announcing the results, Allan Black, the GMB's national officer for civil aviation said: "Had British Airways talked with us, genuinely and constructively, at the start of these talks more than half a year ago, we would not be announcing the results of a strike ballot today.

"We ask British Airways, why is it that talks begun in the cool of January have been allowed to drag on into the heat of August and the peak holiday season?"

He emphasised that the GMB fully recognised the problems within the aviation industry and were not seeking an unrealistic pay deal.

Mr Black continued: "Our demands are not great. After all, our members' pay is not great, by any stretch of boardroom imagination. £12,500 basic for check-in staff, many of them women balancing a stressful service job with caring commitments at home.

"It says something about Britain's favourite airline that our paid members would have to work nearly 3 years to take home what the BA Chief Exec takes home in one month's basic pay (not including the frills and extras such as £408,000 into his pension pot, and 350,318 share options)."

"Against this background, BA has asked GMB members to accept a three year pay deal which effectively means a pay standstill. That is not flexible or fair to low-paid workers doing an important service job, to ask them to lock their pay until 2007. So you can see why they won't accept a "no-frills" 3 year deal."

Despite the ballot's approval of strike action, no dates have yet been set by the GMB executive, who are expected to seek last-ditch talks with BA management before embarking on strike action.

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