Employees of British Airways threatened to organize a strike in the second half of December 2009. It will become a threat for the Christmas holidays and vocations for millions of tourists. If airlines do not give up leadership to trade unions and will not abandon the reduction of stewards, appointed on 16 November.
According to the announcements 13 thousand flight attendants and stewards serving flights, will not go to work on Christmas Eve.
The administration of British Airways, which has suffered huge losses because of the crisis in 2009 has been negotiating with the union stewards for a long time, insisting on the reduction of 1,700 seats out of 14000 posts. In an attempt to reduce costs the company has already ceased to serve free snacks and drinks on flights of short distance, and asked some staff to work a month without pay. Moreover, the salary of new employees was reduced by one third, although it is still 10% higher than other airlines’.
The administration of British Airways indicated that it pays the stewards more than the competitor airlines. They also mentioned that the three-quarters of the aircrew will be included in the new salary scale on which staff is waiting for wage increases ranging from 2 to 7% in the future.
However, the flight attendants’ union said that the leadership of the airline strives to force the deal to employees, rather than continue negotiations to reach a mutually beneficial solution.
If the strike is still held, it will seriously damage the business reputation of the airline.
438 domestic and international flights were canceled in Spain, because of the strike in the Iberia airlines, which lasted 26 and 27 October. About 40 thousand passengers got stuck at airports in Madrid and Barcelona. Unions of pilots insist on increase of wages, which have not been indexed for already 4 years, but the leadership of the airline insists that because of the difficult financial situation that the airlines are facing, the strikers’ demands can not be fulfilled. As a result, if the administration of Iberia and the unions fail to agree, there will be a new two-day strike, which will be held on November 10 and 11.
