The summer holidays look set to be more turbulent than ever after British Airways workers at Heathrow Airport voted in favour of taking strike action. A total of 700 workers will take to the picket lines during the summer holidays when demand from travellers is expected to be near pre-pandemic levels.
The unions, made up of Unite and GMB, said the action was due to a 10% pay cut imposed during the peak of the pandemic not being reinstated. British Airways also cut around 13,000 jobs.
Dates for strikes have yet to be announced as unions give British Airways a chance to respond. But here's everything you need to know about what will happen and what you can do about flights already booked.
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Why are BA staff going on strike?
The proposed industrial action is in response to money that was cut from workers' pay. As flights were grounded thanks to coronavirus, British Airways introduced a salary sacrifice of around 10%. Unions are asking British Airways to reinstate that pay or the walk-outs will continue.
Nadine Houghton, GMB Union's national officer, said: “With grim predictability, holidaymakers face massive disruption thanks to the pig-headedness of British Airways. BA has tried to offer our members crumbs from the table in the form of a 10% one-off bonus payment, but this doesn’t cut the mustard."
“Our members need to be reinstated the 10% they had stolen from them last year with full back pay and the 10% bonus which other colleagues have been paid. It’s not too late to save the summer holidays – other BA workers have had their pay cuts reversed. Do the same for ground and check-in staff and this industrial action can be nipped in the bud.”
What does that mean for existing holidays?
It is understood that if strikes go ahead, British Airways, which operates from terminals three and five, has plans to cover staff, including managers potentially dealing with check-ins. However, there would still be a disruption for passengers, especially at terminal five, leading to cancellations, which would be focused on routes with several daily flights.
So if you have your sights set on somewhere sunny over the summer break, make sure to keep an eye on what unfolds. If your flight is delayed or cancelled because of strikes then you are likely eligible for compensation.
Strikes by staff are considered within the airline’s control as it is negotiating with the workforce, as per the Denied Boarding Regulations. Airlines must also reroute passengers as soon as possible using other carriers if necessary.
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