BA cabin crew union considers Christmas strike as talks collapse

British Airways cabin crew could strike over Christmas, their union has warned.

Representatives of BA's 14,000 cabin crew are meeting Unite today at Sandown Park racecourse in Surrey, to discuss the breakdown in talks between the union and their employer.

BA has proposed a two-year pay freeze, and plans to reduce the number of crew members on long-haul flights.

The airline, which lost £401m last year, says that the changes are essential to its survival - and that they do not break contractual terms and conditions, according to the BBC.

But Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of Unite, said that the airline "needs to think again and abandon plans to force through unfair, unworkable contractual changes."