British Airways cabin crew to stage successive strikes over pay

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Demonstrators hold placards and wave flags as they protest against the low wages of British Airways' staff, outside the Houses of Parliament in London on February 7. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:26pm, 15 Feb 2017Updated: 9:31pm, 15 Feb 2017

British Airways cabin crew have announced four more days of strikes, to start on February 22, as a dispute over pay continues.

About 2,900 crew members in BA’s mixed fleet belonging to the Unite union will stage industrial action for four days starting next Wednesday. The union says it aims to “pile on the pressure” on the airline, which it accuses of paying poverty wages to cabin crew.

The strike is in addition to four days of strikes due to start on Friday. Since the start of the year there have been 11 days of strike action, including six days last week. But executives last week ruled out further negotiations.

Basic pay in the mixed fleet, which all new recruits to BA join, starts at around £12,000 (US$14,950), though the airline says crew earn a minimum of £21,000 after allowances and bonuses. Unite says cabin crew earn £16,000 a year on average.

Demonstrators hold placards and wave flags as they protest against the low wages a of British Airways' staff, outside the Houses of Parliament in London on February 7. Photo: AFP

Unite says BA has been forced to “wet lease” aircraft from other airlines to cover for the striking staff and estimates that this is costing the airline between £2,000 and £3,000 an hour.

Unite’s regional officer Matt Smith said: “Our estimates put the amount of money British Airways has spent on defending the dispute and poverty pay at £1m.