Travel plans in chaos as British Airways pilots’ strike in August 

BA Union workers to strike this August, potentially throwing travel plans into chaos. 

BA Union workers to strike this August, potentially throwing travel plans into chaos.  Credit: Shutterstock   

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of holidaymakers potentially face large scale disruptions to their travel plans as British Airways pilots have unanimously voted to go ahead with planned strike action this August. 

Some 93 per cent of pilots represented in British Airways pilot union BALPA voted in favour of the strike over pay, despite the airlines attempts to avert the action. 

BA met with union leaders and proposed a pay increase of 11.5 per cent which they maintain is a fair and reasonable amount. 

However BAPLA refused the offer and voted to go ahead with the strike. 

A statement by the union’s general secretary, Brian Strutton, justified the unions refusal to accept the offer and insisted the ball is now firmly in BA’s court.  

“Settlement of this dispute is in BA’s hands. We do not wish to inconvenience our customers, which is why we have tried to resolve this matter through negotiation started last November. It is BA who has regrettably chosen to drag this out into the summer months,” said Sutton. 

BA put out a statement on their website condemning the strike action, saying they are “very disappointed that BALPA has chosen to threaten the travel plans of thousands of our customers, over the summer holidays, with possible strike action.” 

So far dates have not been confirmed for the strikes and BA insists that their customers do not panic and cancel flights. Measures are currently being put in place to limit the disruption of the walkout with low turnout, long haul flights being the first to be cancelled. 

Caption: BA Union workers to strike this August, potentially throwing travel plans into chaos. 

Credit: Shutterstock   

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James Warren

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