BRITISH AIRWAYS' pilots have voted in favour of a British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) strike, which could see the first industrial stoppage involving BA flight-crews for 20 years.
The union has cited several issues, about pay and working conditions, although the dispute is centred around BA's Euro Gatwick division, which was created by the take-over of Dan-Air in 1992.
BALPA says that it wants pay scales in this "low-cost-base" division, which has almost doubled in size (to 300 pilots) since its creation, to be brought in line with the rest of the airline.
BA's chief executive Bob Ayling counters the union argument, saying that the "rescue" in 1992 of Dan-Air was conditional on the short-haul group at Gatwick remaining on a lower pay scale, and this was agreed with the union.
Source: Flight International
