British Airways (BA) faces more strikes this year as cabin crew are set to announce the results of a fresh ballot today.
Unite union “strongly recommended” its members rejected a new offer on pay and conditions by BA, which the airline claimed was fair. If successful, the vote could approve 20 days of industrial action, according to the Guardian.
Cabin crew strikes in March cost the airline up to £45m.
The airline has failed to restore travel perks to staff who went on strike, and disciplinary action is being taken against more than 50 members following the industrial action – key reasons as to why Unite was urging members to vote against the new offer, the BBC has reported.
Unite joint leader Tony Woodley said: “The charges in the great majority of cases are entirely trivial and barely worthy of a slap on the wrist, let alone the sack.”
BA claimed it had addressed the union’s concerns over the past 14 months of negotiations, adding it had outlined a new “fair offer” for staff.
“It offers our cabin crew the assurances they have been asking for, and so we are asking them to accept the proposal and put this dispute behind us,” its spokesman said.
The news comes a day after a Unite union official claimed he had been sacked by BA for gross misconduct.
Duncan Holley, who has served 12 years as secretary of the branch of Unite that represents cabin crew, believes he was shown the door because he took time off work before Christmas to perform his union duties.
BA said it could not comment on individual cases.
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