Virgin Atlantic pilots poised for strike action
Virgin Atlantic passengers should prepare themselves for strike action after weekend reports showed strong support for a pilot walk-out.
In a row over pay, it is thought industrial action will take place either at the end of June or the start of July. A ballot on the proposed action closes on Tuesday.
Transatlantic routes are expected to be severely disrupted if the 750 pilots cannot come to an agreement with management over a 4% pay offer which rides on the back of three years of pay freezes.
The weekend newspapers report a sentiment of overwhelming support by pilots for the industrial action which will be organised by union The British Airline Pilots Association
However, Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway told the media: “Everybody is very clear that we need to reach an agreement. Both sides are very motivated to get a resolution and I know the pilots, I know they don’t want to go on strike.â€
“It’s just a matter of can we reach an agreement on what is right in the current market and what the company can afford. We hoped to have reached an agreement by now. All the rest of the company has reached an agreement, which is the first pay rise that anyone’s had for two years.â€
But BALPA general secretary Jim McAuslan said pilots had not had a pay increase since 2008, in the belief that they were helping out the airline during tough times and would be rewarded later. This, he said, had not proved to be the case.
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by Dinah Hatch
Dinah
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