British Airways faces a crunch meeting with unions today after cabin crew warned that industrial action was “inevitable”.
The prospect of strikes later this year will become almost certain if the two sides fail to reach agreement.
A walk out by cabin crew strike could ground BA’s fleet and cause massive disruption to passengers.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh is due to meet Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley, the joint heads of the Unite union, to try to reach a compromise agreement
The airline is seeking to save £140 million a year from its cabin crew budget and is looking to make radical changes to working practices.
But Bassa, the division of Unite representing BA cabin crew, said in a letter to members last week: “If no progress is made at that meeting, a ballot for industrial action is inevitable.”
A reduction in crew numbers on some flights is among new conditions BA is seeking to introduce. Senior cabin crew will be required to participate in normal food and drink service while new staff will be employed on different terms and on less pay.
BA, which lost more than £400 million last year, wants to cut 2,000 full-time equivalent jobs from its 14,000 cabin crew and is looking for up to 1,700 job losses among ground staff.
The carrier has said that certain changes would start being imposed from November 16 following talks with the Unite which have run since June.
by Phil Davies
