British Airways (BA) cabin crew will be re-balloted for industrial action over staff cuts from 22 January, the union Unite has announced.
The vote is expected to take approximately a month to complete, and if the Unite members agree to strike, a walkout could begin from 1 March.
Personnel Today revealed last week that Unite intended to continue preparing a ballot for a strike despite agreeing to hold talks with the airline to find a peaceful solution.
In a letter to members, the union’s aviation officers, Steve Turner and Brian Boyd, said they were “determined” to hold a new ballot after a previous vote in favour of industrial action was found to be unlawful by the High Court, the Guardian reported.
The Unite officials said: “Our ballot will now open on 22 January following the statutory one week’s notice to British Airways.”
They added the re-balloting process had been delayed while Unite checked its membership database to avoid balloting members who no longer worked at BA.
The previous strike vote was found to be unlawful by the High Court after Unite balloted staff who had accepted voluntary redundancy and would not be working at the airline by the proposed date of the strike.
The Unite officials said: “We are sure that you appreciate the importance of ensuring our data is as accurate as is possible. Despite the decision of the High Court in December, we are absolutely committed and determined to ensuring your voice is heard through this ballot.”
