Unite members working as ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew will deliver a letter to Marks & Spencer at its headquarters today calling on the retailer to demand the airline stops paying “poverty wages” to sell its food on flights.
The call comes on the second day of a 48-hour strike over pay and coincides with the introduction of M&S food on short haul BA flights.
The introduction of the M&S range follows the withdrawal of free in-flight meals on short-haul and domestic services from Heathrow and Gatwick.
It will see ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew operating out of Heathrow selling the same food, but being paid a basic starting salary which is up to £6,000 less than customer assistants will get in M&S’ Greater London stores from April, when their pay rises to above the London living wage, Unite claims.
With a bacon roll costing £4.75 on board, a packet of crisps £1 and a soft drink £1.80, a ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew member would have to work nearly three hours to cover the cost of basic meal with their £3 an hour allowance for food, according to the union.
Hundreds of ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew stayed away from work yesterday and joined picket lines around Heathrow.
BA insisted that all passengers will be able to fly to their destinations during the two-day industrial action, although a “small number” of flights will be merged to and from Heathrow.
“This will mean some customers will travel slightly earlier or later in the day than their original booking. Customers affected are being contacted with the options available for them,” BA said.
Unite national officer Oliver Richardson said: “Cabin crew working for British Airways’ ‘mixed fleet’, 36,000 feet up in air, face earning up to £6,000 less basic pay than M&S staff selling the same food in store.
“M&S needs to ask itself whether it’s comfortable with this injustice and British Airways’ pitiful pay rates which have seen hundreds of ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew stay away from work and mount picket lines in their fight for fair pay.
“The pennies ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew are paid mean they will struggle to afford the M&S sandwiches they sell. We would urge M&S to do the right thing and tell British Airways to follow its lead and pay ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew a fair and proper living wage.
“British Airways need to wake up to the anger and the strength of feeling its confrontational stance on pay has generated and talk meaningfully with Unite our concerns.”
The airline said that it continues to be available for further dialogue with Unite.