British Airways (BA) has told its 40,000 staff that it wants to cut 2,000 jobs.
The airline told its cabin crew last week that it hoped many staff would choose to take voluntary redundancy, but said that if these cuts cannot be achieved, the losses could become compulsory.
More than 2,500 jobs have already gone at BA in the past year in an attempt to cut costs amid a severe downturn in the industry.
BA’s pilots have already agreed to 100 voluntary redundancies and will vote next week on cuts to pay and conditions.
However, other areas of BA’s workforce, including the cabin crew, are expected to reject the airline’s proposed cost reductions. Ground staff members at union Unite overwhelmingly rejected revised pay and conditions in a ballot last week.
A spokesman for BA said: “It is important that we make progress in our talks with staff. The airline industry is facing very serious crisis in what is undoubtedly the most difficult trading environment it has ever been in. We need to make our airline as competitive as we can and this means reducing our controllable costs.”
The airline will begin intensive talks with unions this week, and has set a deadline of 30 June to agree new terms.
