The second round of strike for staff at British Airways Plc (BA) have resulted in around 60,000 passengers being grounded from March 27 and will continue for three days. Cancellations will halt 30 percent of long-haul flights from the airline’s base at London’s Heathrow Airport.
The stakes are high with the financial losses of the latest strike of staff from U.K.’s largest airline costing $31 million, says BA. The penalty for the industrial action—members of Britain’s largest union, Unite, have been warned about participation in the walkout, which could result in permanently losing their staff travel privileges.
According to the BBC, “Staff is eligible for free and heavily discounted flights, depending on how long they have worked for BA.”
In an interview with Sky News, a BA spokesperson claimed that travel privileges are “a non-contractual perk that the company can withdraw at its discretion.“ The Unite union contests this position, arguing that travel privilege is standard practice—not a perk. ”This is the clearest possible example of BA’s bullying and contemptuous approach to its employees,“ a union spokesman told Sky News. ”Cabin crew showed last weekend that they will not be intimidated. Unite will challenge this vindictive move in whatever way seems appropriate.”
Although further strikes during Easter have been halted, Unite has threatened a third phase of strike action after Easter on April 14, if a resolution for pay and changes to working practices are not negotiated due to the airline’s plans to cut costs.
BA claims that the current situation is the largest contingency plan the company has had to undertake in its history, with one in three flights being canceled which is the equivalent of 227 flights in total from Heathrow.
BA will continue to fly 75 percent of passengers booked to travel, spokesman Euan Fordyce said on Sunday. Flights from London City airport and Gatwick are operating at 100 percent, Fordyce said.
Since the announcement of the first round of strikes, BA’s stock price has increase by 19 percent from Feb. 22. More than 180,000 passengers have traveled during the strike, 18 percent of those affected by the industrial action have rebooked with other airlines or rescheduled their departure dates.
Chief Executive Willie Walsh said that “BA won’t exist in 10 years” unless it transforms the way it operates, in an interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.
The actual total financial cost to BA has not been formally announced, but the repercussion of the walkout has also hiked up the price of other airlines, due to seat shortages. The lowest price airfare from London to New York via American Airlines on the first day of the strike was almost $2,000.
The stakes are high with the financial losses of the latest strike of staff from U.K.’s largest airline costing $31 million, says BA. The penalty for the industrial action—members of Britain’s largest union, Unite, have been warned about participation in the walkout, which could result in permanently losing their staff travel privileges.
According to the BBC, “Staff is eligible for free and heavily discounted flights, depending on how long they have worked for BA.”
In an interview with Sky News, a BA spokesperson claimed that travel privileges are “a non-contractual perk that the company can withdraw at its discretion.“ The Unite union contests this position, arguing that travel privilege is standard practice—not a perk. ”This is the clearest possible example of BA’s bullying and contemptuous approach to its employees,“ a union spokesman told Sky News. ”Cabin crew showed last weekend that they will not be intimidated. Unite will challenge this vindictive move in whatever way seems appropriate.”
Although further strikes during Easter have been halted, Unite has threatened a third phase of strike action after Easter on April 14, if a resolution for pay and changes to working practices are not negotiated due to the airline’s plans to cut costs.
BA claims that the current situation is the largest contingency plan the company has had to undertake in its history, with one in three flights being canceled which is the equivalent of 227 flights in total from Heathrow.
BA will continue to fly 75 percent of passengers booked to travel, spokesman Euan Fordyce said on Sunday. Flights from London City airport and Gatwick are operating at 100 percent, Fordyce said.
Since the announcement of the first round of strikes, BA’s stock price has increase by 19 percent from Feb. 22. More than 180,000 passengers have traveled during the strike, 18 percent of those affected by the industrial action have rebooked with other airlines or rescheduled their departure dates.
Chief Executive Willie Walsh said that “BA won’t exist in 10 years” unless it transforms the way it operates, in an interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.
The actual total financial cost to BA has not been formally announced, but the repercussion of the walkout has also hiked up the price of other airlines, due to seat shortages. The lowest price airfare from London to New York via American Airlines on the first day of the strike was almost $2,000.
