Unions representing workers at British Airways (BA) have said it is “high noon” for talks with management over the future of the company’s pension fund.
The two sides are meeting today to discuss ways of dealing with the fund’s estimated deficit of £2.1bn.
BA wants its staff to work longer and take lower pensions in exchange for pumping half a billion pounds into the fund.
But two of the main unions for the airline’s staff have warned the talks could fail.
“The talks continue today at high noon, appropriately enough as they will be the last as far as we are concerned,” said Ed Blissett, a national official of the GMB union.
The Transport & General Workers’ union added: “The way things are looking at the moment, it could be that we fail to agree.”
BA’s main pension scheme was closed to new joiners in 2003, but still has 34,000 active members.
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