BA cabin crew vote for strike in jobs row

Members of the Unite union voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in a dispute over cost-cutting measures, which include reductions in crew numbers.

Dates for any strikes will be announced at a meeting of workers on Thursday, although taking action over Easter has been ruled out.

The union has to give seven days notice of any strike action to the airline, which has been training other staff, including pilots, to take the place of cabin crew if action is held.

The cabin crew were set to take 12 days of strike action over Christmas until British Airways won a legal challenge after it emerged the union had balloted hundreds of members who subsequently left the company.

Unite lost a second legal case last week when it failed to argue that changes to working practices and reductions in crew numbers were unlawful.

More than 80 per cent of those who voted in the latest ballot were in favour of industrial action on a turnout of 78 per cent. Unite said 7,482 of its members voted in favour of action, with 1,789 voting against.

Union assistant general secretary Len McCluskey said: "With this overwhelming vote in the teeth of BA harassment and media misrepresentation, BA's cabin crew have made it clear that the deep sense of grievance they feel about their treatment by their employer remains."

A BA statement said: "The outcome of Unite's ballot is very disappointing and brings a renewed threat of industrial action which is completely unjustified.

"In the weeks before and during the ballot period, Unite claimed that we had breached individual crew members' contracts by making modest changes to on-board crew numbers on flights from Heathrow.

"We always said this claim was false and it was rejected by the High Court three days ago."