British Airways Cabin Crew To Extend Strike Again

British Airways cabin crew working under ‘mixed fleet’ employment terms have announced a two week extension to their current strike.

The additional strike days are from Wednesday August 16 to Wednesday August 30, including the August public holiday weekend.

“Strike action will continue until the end of August unless British Airways hammers out a deal with Unite to resolve this dispute,” Unite national officer Oliver Richardson said.

The Unite union represents the mixed fleet crew who make up about 15 percent of the airline’s total cabin crew numbers.

British Airways said all its customers will be able to fly to their destinations during the current and extended strike days.

The extension will mean the mixed fleet crew will have been on strike for the whole of July and August “forcing British Airways to spend millions on ‘wet leasing’ aircraft to cover the striking cabin crew,” Unite said.

Unite described a recent offer by the airline to reinstate travel concessions for workers who took strike action as ‘half-hearted’. The union is taking legal action on behalf of cabin crew sanctioned for striking.

“The airline needs to get around the negotiating table and start recognising that punishing low paid workers fighting for fairer pay is no way for a 'premium' airline to behave,” Richardson said.

Unite says that on average mixed fleet cabin crew earn about £16,000 (USD$20,840), including allowances, a year.