Passengers departing the UK over Christmas and new year face the possibility of strikes closing the country’s biggest airports and grounding Virgin Atlantic for the first time in its history.
Ballots among 5,000 staff at airport operator BAA and 3,200 Virgin cabin crew closed on Thursday, with both expected to favour action.
Officials of the union Unite, which represents both groups, warned strikes at BAA could begin from December 27, hitting Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton. Any strike at Virgin Atlantic would be in January.
Airport security staff, firefighters and maintenance workers are demanding BAA reinstates the final salary pension scheme for new staff that it ditched this month. Airlines have called on BAA to produce contingency plans, but any stoppage by firefighters would close an airport.
Virgin Atlantic cabin crew are seeking an enhanced pay deal after rejecting a 4.8%increase this year and inflation-matched rise next.
Disaffection with the carrier’s pay structure appears acute after the deal was rejected against the recommendation of union officials.
However, strike votes typically lead to last-minute talks to settle disputes. There were more than 1,300 ballots infavour of action in the UK last year, but only 158 led to a walkout.