Viajes India
15th December 2009
British Airways cabin crew to strike over Christmas
A union for British Airways' cabin crew announced today a 12-day strike over the busy Christmas season.
The Unite union reported 92.5% of about 13,500 workers who voted were in favor of striking, according to The Associated Press. Crewmembers will walk off the job on Dec. 22.
The airline's employees are reportedly disgruntled over looming layoffs and changes in work practices.
Unite, the union that represents British Airways’ (BA) cabin crew, has voted to call a strike for a period of 12 days between Dec. 22, 2009 and Jan. 2, 2010. If not resolved, this action will likely disrupt BA’s flights schedule during the busy holiday travel season. BA’s CEO, Willie Walsh, has indicated that he is “urging Unite to return to the negotiating table.” Yet at the same time, BA has indicated that it is reworking its flight schedules for the strike period. BA’s new schedules will be announced as soon as they are finalized.
BA has advised travel agents that “customers who are booked to travel between 22 December 2009 and 2 January 2010 and for 48 hours on either side of those dates who would like to take their flight at a different time can change to another BA flight departing in the next 12 months at no charge.” BA has also indicated that if a customer’s flight is eventually cancelled because of the strike, the airline will also offer the option of a refund.
In an effort to cut costs after suffering big losses during the recession, British Airways plans to cut thousands of jobs, switch about 3,000 staff to part-time and freeze pay, according to Reuters. "Analysts estimate that a two-day strike over Christmas could cost the airline [about $80 million]," Reuters writes.
A spokesman for the union "stressed that the union was still keen to avoid the strikes through further negotiation with British Airways," according to BBC.
"We are deeply saddened to have reached the point where we must take industrial action to get our voices heard, but feel that we have been left with no other choice," a statement from the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association, a division of Unite, said. "We do not want to cause inconvenience, so even at this late stage we offer an opportunity for disruption not to occur."
The Unite union reported 92.5% of about 13,500 workers who voted were in favor of striking, according to The Associated Press. Crewmembers will walk off the job on Dec. 22.
The airline's employees are reportedly disgruntled over looming layoffs and changes in work practices.
Unite, the union that represents British Airways’ (BA) cabin crew, has voted to call a strike for a period of 12 days between Dec. 22, 2009 and Jan. 2, 2010. If not resolved, this action will likely disrupt BA’s flights schedule during the busy holiday travel season. BA’s CEO, Willie Walsh, has indicated that he is “urging Unite to return to the negotiating table.” Yet at the same time, BA has indicated that it is reworking its flight schedules for the strike period. BA’s new schedules will be announced as soon as they are finalized.
BA has advised travel agents that “customers who are booked to travel between 22 December 2009 and 2 January 2010 and for 48 hours on either side of those dates who would like to take their flight at a different time can change to another BA flight departing in the next 12 months at no charge.” BA has also indicated that if a customer’s flight is eventually cancelled because of the strike, the airline will also offer the option of a refund.
In an effort to cut costs after suffering big losses during the recession, British Airways plans to cut thousands of jobs, switch about 3,000 staff to part-time and freeze pay, according to Reuters. "Analysts estimate that a two-day strike over Christmas could cost the airline [about $80 million]," Reuters writes.
A spokesman for the union "stressed that the union was still keen to avoid the strikes through further negotiation with British Airways," according to BBC.
"We are deeply saddened to have reached the point where we must take industrial action to get our voices heard, but feel that we have been left with no other choice," a statement from the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association, a division of Unite, said. "We do not want to cause inconvenience, so even at this late stage we offer an opportunity for disruption not to occur."
" Travel Weekly "
