BA pilots to ballot for strike action over OpenSkies

Monday, 22 Jan, 2008 0

British Airways pilots are to ballot for strike action following the airline’s refusal to ensure there is open access to jobs between BA and its new European subsidiary, OpenSkies.

The decision to ballot by the pilots’ union BALPA (British Airline Pilots’ Association) was taken after weeks of abortive negotiations with the airline.

The notice was due to be served on 17 January but was delayed due to the incident at Heathrow.

“We hope the BA leadership will think again,” said BALPA general secretary Jim McAuslan.

“This is not about money; and it is not about safety (whatever Times headline writers might think). BALPA is explicitly not linking the events of BA038 with this dispute.

“We have been prepared to accept that a new service will need lower costs to build business and that BALPA would be able to crew the service to meet the BA business case, but we are not prepared to see the pilot body broken up in the way BA plans and are bemused as to why they will not use BA pilots.”

BALPA said it fears, due to BA’s intransigence, that the airine’s real aim is to start an outsourcing programme that will eventually force down BA pilot conditions.

“We believe there should be one pilot body for BA and its subsidiary so that there can be fair promotion opportunities, a cohesion of the pilot force which is so important in a safety critical industry and a safeguarding of BA’s brand.

“OpenSkies is being set up with BA money, will fly BA planes and draw on the BA brand; and a brand is more than a tailfin, it is about its people and the BA pilot community is making a stand to protect that brand. This is a line in the sand.”

By Bev Fearis

Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.

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