Virgin Pilots Could Strike
Hundreds of pilots could be balloted on strike action as early as this week unless the long-running dispute is resolved, union sources said.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) issued a public call for “last ditch” talks to resolve the dispute.
It comes on top of months of uncertainty for air travellers amid a long-running dispute between BA and cabin crew over staff benefits which is still ongoing despite a series of rolling strikes earlier this year.
The action, coupled with disruption from the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud earlier this year, cost the company £250 million, pushing into the red with a £164 million quarterly loss reported last month.
A separate dispute involving staff at the airports operator BAA, which threatened to cripple some of Britain’s busiest airports, was resolved last week.
Virgin pilots have been angered by changes to a system which guarantees them 120 days off a year, on top of holiday, in return for routinely working weekends and bank holidays.
The union accuses the airline of reneging on an earlier deal and sources said members were “up for” what would be the first strike in the history of the airline which has about 750 pilots.
“If it happens it is big news, Virgin will be shut for the first time,” said one source.
