As unions talk with more British Airways employees about the possibility of wage-related strikes, industrial action might expand across the country.
About 700 Heathrow Airport employees, primarily check-in personnel, have already decided to strike during the summer vacation.
However, the GMB and Unite unions are advising engineers and call center employees at Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester, and Newcastle to take action.
BA stated that it was “completely committed to collaborating to find a solution.”
Hundreds of BA employees supported walkout action on Wednesday in response to a 10% wage decrease implemented during the pandemic.
The airline has offered its employees a one-time payment equal to 10 percent of their annual wage, but GMB members at Heathrow want the entire pay decrease overturned.
BA stated that it had offered an “offer of a 10% payment that was accepted by the majority of colleagues.”
The wider consultation poll is distinct from the Heathrow issue and addresses broader salary concerns.
GMB spokesman: “Thousands of BA engineers at Heathrow, Gatwick, and in Scotland, as well as call center employees in Newcastle and Manchester, are amid a ballot for possible industrial action over pay.”
Gary Smith, general secretary of the GMB, told BBC Breakfast, “I don’t believe this will end with customer check-in staff.” Many of our members throughout the BA organization are sick to death of the company’s cuts.
People are outraged by the opportunistic exploitation of the epidemic by the leadership of British Airways, and they demand salary and working conditions be restored.
The purpose of the consultation is to gauge both participation and the actions that workers may wish to take. It is the phase that precedes an official vote on industrial action.
If unions representing Heathrow and British Airways check-in employees cannot reach a deal, vacationers and other travelers may experience disruptions to their travels.
Cerium, an aviation statistics business, predicts that about 1.8 million British Airways passengers will depart from Heathrow in July when the nation’s summer vacation begins.
The last day of school in England and Wales is July 22, while the first day of summer vacation in Scotland and Northern Ireland is July 1.
The earliest date that Heathrow employees might go on strike would be about July 7. Unions are required by law to give companies fourteen days’ notice to prepare for action.
The unions have not yet specified striking dates, although an announcement is anticipated early next week.
BA stated, “We will keep our clients informed as the situation develops regarding how this would affect them.”
International Airlines Group-owned firm has already curtailed 10 percent of its flights between March and October.
Following the Covid lockdown, when the sector slashed thousands of jobs and foreign travel ground to a halt, airlines and airports struggled to accommodate an increase in demand for travel.
