BA cabin crew vote on strike action

Mon Nov 16 2009 05:12:09

Thousands of British Airways cabin crew have started voting on whether to launch a pre-Christmas strike in protest at "far-reaching" changes to working practices.

New employment contracts have come into force despite opposition from Unite, which warned that they were "unworkable".

More than 12,000 ballot papers were issued and the result will be announced on December 14, raising the threat of strikes just days before Christmas.

Unite said it was concerned that the changes would increase stress levels among cabin crew because fewer staff would be on duty during flights.

The union said services to passengers would suffer and the health and safety of workers would be hit.

Unite called on BA to abandon the new contracts and work with the union to try to achieve a negotiated settlement.

The union also announced it had instructed a team of employment specialists to monitor the impact of the new contracts in the coming weeks.

BA is also cutting jobs and freezing pay under cost-cutting plans in the face of huge losses and a downturn in the aviation industry.

The company maintains the changes were vital for its future.

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