Negotiations aimed at heading off a strike by Virgin Atlantic pilots are to resume today (Monday) after another set of negotiations ended on Friday.
Member of the British Airline Pilots Association at the airline have voted heavily in favour of industrial action in protest against a pay deal worth 4%. The offer followed a number of wage freezes in recent years.
“BALPA has withdrawn to consider its position,” the union said. “Talks will resume on Monday morning.”
General secretary Jim McAuslan was previously critical of comments by Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway that the dispute was “evidence of a model of industrial relations that is antiquated and out of date”.
McAuslan said last Thursday: “How deeply disappointing that Mr Ridgway has chosen a moment of intense and difficult negotiations to wrongly caricature industrial relations at Virgin Atlantic.
“And how lacking in humility not to face the fact that 97% of his pilots chose to vote for industrial action for the first time in their history which has a whole lot to do with an antiquated and out of date management style at the top of his company.”