BA crew to vote on further strike action

Travellers could face further chaos if British Airways crew vote in favour of further industrial action.

Travel Insurance News - 26/04/2010

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Following a week of severe disruptions to air travel caused by the volcanic ash cloud, passengers with British Airways could face further headaches if members of Unite choose to support further strikes.

The airline, which is already thought to have lost between £15 million and £20 million every day while UK airspace was suspended, could see its financial woes worsen still.

Both sides in the labour dispute insist they have made significant progress in talks but they have yet to come to agreement over two major points.

As a result, officials in the union concede there is a risk, albeit slight, of further strike action by 12,000 flight attendants.

The two sides seem close to an agreement on staff working conditions, which lay at the heart of the original dispute that led to industrial action last month.

However, the union and the airline are now arguing over attempts by British Airways to punish staff over their participation in last month’s strike.

At the moment, members will only be involved in a consultative process about further strike action.

No deadline has been set but if the airline and the union fail to reach an agreement acceptable to members, the fallout is likely to cause major inconvenience for British travellers.

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