22 February 2008

BA pilots vote to strike

Pilots at British Airways have voted to walk out overe the airline's plans to create a transatlantic subsidiary.

Members of the British Airline Pilots Association are angry over plans for BA OpenSkies, due to operate from the Continent to the US.

Pilots claim crews will work or inferior terms at the new arm of BA, which is due to start serving New York from Paris in June.

BALPA said 86% of members working for BA voted to strike with a turnout of 90%.

"This is one of the highest ever percentage turnouts in an industrial action ballot in any union," said BALPA general secretary Jim McAuslan.

The union represents 3,000 BA pilots and claims the action, if it goes ahead, "would effectrively ground BA worldwide".

No strike dates have yet been set but if it goes ahead it will be the first action by pilots in almost 30 years.

Union representatives were meeting with BA today and has set up a strike support fund.

by Phil Davies

time to wake up and smell the coffee

In the light of strike threats at BA and Virgin, perhaps all the staff at BA could swop jobs with all the staff at Virgin, then all swop with the staff at easyJet and Ryanair, then everyone go back after 3 months to their own jobs and continue to look after me (the customer do you remember who I am ?). If you don't like where you are and think that there is something better out there for you, then simply apply for another job and see. Just don't grumble and go on strike and put everyone's jobs at risk.

By Nick Cooper, Tuesday, February 26, 2008