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BA pay dispute set to escalate next week

British Airways faces escalated strike action next week by cabin crew in a row over pay.

Members of the Unite union working on the airline’s so-called mixed fleet plan a 72-hour walkout from January 19.

This follows two days of industrial action affecting Heathrow services this week.

More than 800 cabin crew from the airline’s mixed fleet have joined Unite since the start of the dispute over ‘poverty pay’, taking the union’s membership to over 2,900.

BA was forced to merge some flights during this week’s action but pledged that all passengers would get to their destinations.

Warning of continuing and deepening anger, Unite called on BA to drop its “confrontational stance” and start listening to mixed fleet cabin crew about their legitimate concerns over pay.

The union’s national officer Oliver Richardson said: “British Airways should be under no illusion about our members’ determination to secure a settlement that addresses their concerns over poverty pay.

“They work tirelessly to serve and keep passengers safe, while contributing massively to the success of British Airways and the billions of pounds in profits it makes.

“Yet rather than pay them a decent wage for playing a key part in this success, British Airways refuses to talk meaningfully about their legitimate concerns over poverty pay.

“Seeking to squeeze ever more from cabin crew and making passengers pay for services which were once complementary is a sad state of affairs for an airline which once described itself as the ‘world’s favourite’.

“We would urge British Airways to avoid the inconvenience and disruption of industrial action by meaningfully addressing levels of poverty pay which are causing financial worry and distress to ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew.”
BA responded by claiming that more than 70% of mixed fleet cabin crew ignored this week’s 48-hour strike call and reported for work as normal.

“We operated nearly 1,600 flights over the two days, as planned, and transported all 210,000 customers to their destinations,” the airline said.

“So it is bizarre, as well as regrettable, that mixed fleet Unite branch has announced further strike dates for January 19-21.”

Contingency plans to deal with the 72-hour walkout are to be published on Monday .

“We will again aim to ensure that all our customers travel to their destinations in this period,” the airline added.

“Mixed fleet Unite’s attempt to create uncertainty for customers and further division among its own members is completely without justification,” BA said.

“We have spent many days in negotiation and agreed a deal with Unite’s general secretary Len McCluskey before Christmas – but the mixed fleet Unite branch refused to recommend it and said it had been rejected on the basis of an online poll that lacked control over who voted or how many times an individual could vote.

“Our pay offer for mixed fleet crew is consistent with deals agreed with Unite for other British Airways colleagues. It also reflects pay awards given by other companies in the UK and will ensure that rewards for mixed fleet remain in line with those for cabin crew at our airline competitors.”

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