BAA workers to be balloted on strike action over changes to pension scheme

Workers at BAA’s seven airports will today vote on strike action in protest at cuts to the company’s final salary pension scheme.

The strike ballot will close on 20 December and will be run independently of the union. It will cover Unite members at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

The airport operator, which appointed Fiona Rodford as its new director of human resources last month, will see 5,000 airport firefighters, security, maintenance, administrative and clerical staff belonging to Unite, taking part in the ballot.

BAA is owned by Spanish building group Ferrovial.

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Brendan Gold, Unite national secretary for civil air transport said: “BAA has just posted profits of more than £500m and the Spanish owner Ferrovial has seen its profits rise by nearly 6%. It is clear that the pension scheme is financially sound, and should be left alone.”

“It is no wonder BAA has a strike ballot on its hands, coming up to one of its busiest seasons,” he continued. “The timing of this dispute is entirely down to BAA and its Madrid paymasters.”