British Airways Cabin Crew will Strike
Michael HeadleyThe cabin crew members that work for British Airways have officially voted in favor of industrial action, according to Unite union leaders on Monday. The decision is made over working conditions and job cuts – a dispute the union and airline have been engaged in for months.
Unite said that almost 7,500 cabin crew members voted yes for a strike out of the nearly 9,500 who returned their ballot. The union represents about 12,000 British Airways staff, so about 64% of all the union’s members voted yes. Unite assistant general secretary Len McCluskey said that the members have made the deep sense of grievance they feel about their treatment by the carrier clear. Yet, it’s obvious that many of those who voted yes for the previous strike, which was overturned, have changed their mind since.
Unite said that they will not announce a strike date until the members meet on Thursday to talk about the result of the ballot. They previously ruled out a strike over Easter though, which is good news for everyone.
This is a big victory for the union (if it isn’t overturned) after they lost a court battle just last week to overturn the cost cutting changes British Airways has introduced. They argued that the cuts were in breach of contracts with staff, because the staff wasn’t properly consulted before the changes were imposed. However, the carrier argued that the changes were necessary in order to battle falling demand.
Meanwhile, another one of Europe’s biggest airlines is dealing with a strike of their own. Lufthansa’s staff went on strike Monday, and at least 800 flights have been grounded. Travelers were scrambling to find other ways to get to where they needed to go. The carrier is hoping for a court injunction, while the Cockpit union has suggested that they are preparing to lengthen the 4-day strike. It’s estimated that the industrial action will cost Lufthansa £22 million a day.