British Airways pilots are threatening fresh stoppages after their union criticised parent IAG for laying the blame on them for a profits warning.
Industrial action by pilots in a dispute over pay and conditions was yesterday calculated to have cost the airline group €137 million.
Strikes took place on September 9-10 but a further walkout planned for today (September 27) was called off. The acton led to the cancellation of 2,325 flights, causing major disruption across the BA network.
The airline group revealed that there have been no further talks over an 11.5% pay offer over three years.
But the IAG comments now appear to have inflamed the situation.
The British Airline Pilots Association responded by saying that the airline’s tactic to lay the blame for a fall in profits at the door of pilots, and without any mention of the impact its IT issue or GDPR fine, was “completely disingenuous”.
The union said: “Balpa has tried to remain reasonable during this dispute and offered a compromise to BA on September 4, and then on September 18 we called off the strike planned for September 27 to allow for a period of reflection.
“Given that we have had no response from the airline to our request for meaningful negotiations, the BA pilots believe their management is treating them with contempt and are now asking Balpa to consider more strike dates.
General secretary Brian Strutton said: “This is proof that BA’s intransigence towards its pilots is economic madness.
“Their total disengagement is evidence of a senior management team that has lost the plot and doesn’t know how to resolve their dispute with their pilots.”