Unite urges British Airways to 'pause for peace' over strike actions
Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey has requested British Airways "pause for peace" in an effort to ease tension between the carrier and its mixed fleet cabin crew over pay disputes and sanctions handed down to workers who refuse to cross the picket line.
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Coming at the end of a near two-month strike period set to conclude on 30 August, McCluskey wrote to British Airways chief executive, Alex Cruz, saying, "You will be aware that we have not issued any further notice for strike action which will currently end on 30 August.
"This is in order to create a 'pause for peace' so that our respective teams can get around the table with a view to securing a mutually accepted resolution to the current dispute.
"Given the nature and length of the dispute I am more than willing to involve myself in any future talks with you and would ask that the company looks at a number of dates from 31 August onwards.2
Unite is the largest union in Britain and had already advised British Airways it would be pursuing legal action against its parent company International Consolidated Airlines Group on behalf of employees that were allegedly stripped of bonuses worth hundreds of pounds, saying such sanctions effectively amounted to blacklisting.
In 2010, BA introduced a new cabin crew contract called 'mixed fleet', with basic pay starting at £12,192, with £3 an hour flying pay according to Unite. The union advocate claimed the average flight attendant would expect to earn £16,000, including allowances, per year.
British Airways however maintains new mixed fleet cabin crew working full time receive more than £21,000 "based on pay, allowances, incentive and bonus" in their first year, which the company said was in line with cabin crew at competitor airlines.
After a request for fairer pay was swiftly rejected by BA and its parent company in June, workers began their strike which has since lead to several cancelled flights and cost British Airways millions of dollars on 'wet leasing' aircraft to cover its cabin crew.
The announcement did little to IAG shares, down just 0.24% to 615.00p as of 1440 BST, with neither BA nor IAG publicly replying to McCluskey's plea.