British Airways Cabin Crew To Strike From July 1

British Airways cabin crew working under ‘mixed fleet’ employment terms will strike for sixteen days at the beginning of July in support of a pay dispute.

The Unite union representing BA mixed fleet cabin crew said they will strike from 00:01 Saturday July 1 to 23:59 Sunday July 16.

The union said it was also pursuing legal action against the airline on behalf of 1,400 cabin crew who were sanctioned for taking previous strike action. It said sanctions include BA stopping bonus payments worth hundreds of pounds, and the removal of staff travel concessions.

Unite said it had cancelled a strike planned for Friday to try to resolve the dispute through fresh talks. The union complained that the airline failed to send “key decision makers” to the ACAS-led talks.

“A resolution to this long running dispute was within the grasp of British Airways, but instead of grabbing that opportunity, bosses rebuffed it. It now means British Airways faces an entirely avoidable two week strike and prolonged legal action,” Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said.

He urged BA bosses “to come to their senses and think again.”

The airline said in a statement that all passengers will be able to fly to their destinations. It said contingency plans will be published in the coming days.

Unite maintains that mixed fleet cabin crew basic pay starts at GBP£12,192, with £3 an hour flying pay. It estimates that on average, mixed fleet crew earn £16,000 (USD$20,500), including allowances, a year. The 2,500 Heathrow-based mixed fleet crew make up about 15 percent of the airline’s total cabin crew numbers.