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British Airways’ union of cabin crew members began a five-day strike last night, stepping up their protest against chief executive Willie Walsh’s plans to cut staffing and revise future pay grades. The airline has scrapped flights scheduled to carry 25,000 people a day, including 40 percent of long-haul services from London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport.
Negotiations over the weekend to avert a strike failed, with Walsh saying the Unite union wanted to revisit proposals it had previously accepted. Union leader Tony Woodley said he would call off the walkout if the airline reinstated travel perks for some members. This week’s walkout will be followed by two more, starting May 30 and June 7, unless a settlement is reached, the union said.
British Airways will use planes staffed by attendants who choose to ignore the stoppage, as well as eight aircraft and crews rented from charter companies to fly about 70 percent of customers who have tickets. It aims to operate 50 percent of short-haul services from Heathrow. The company also rebooked some passengers with other carriers. BA posted a record annual loss of $611 million on Friday.
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