Unite union is set to ballot 14,000 British Airways cabin crew workers for strike action.
The move follows an announcement by British Airways that it would cut 1,700 jobs, change working conditions and freeze staff pay for two years.
The airline has been in talks with Unite but has said it will still push ahead with the changes if an agreement is not reached.
Derek Simpson, general secretary of Unite, said: “BA management’s determination to impose unacceptable contractual changes on cabin crew leaves us no alternative.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
“Negotiation, not imposition, is the only proper way to conduct industrial relations.”
A spokesman for British Airways previously said: “Without changes, we will continue to lose more money with every month that passes. It is essential we make ourselves more efficient if we are to ensure our long-term survival.”