British Airways flight attendants voted Monday to push ahead with a walkout next week, threatening major disruptions to holiday travel at a time when the carrier is scrambling to stem record losses. The strike is expected to begin on Dec. 22 and last for 12 days, until Jan. 2. More than 90 percent of union members who voted were in favor of the action. British Airways management has been wrangling for months with Unite, a trade union that represents the carrier’s 13,500 flight attendants, over changes to staff contracts, job cuts and a proposed two-year pay freeze. The strike would be the first by British Airways employees since the summer of 1997, when a three-day walkout left 25,000 passengers stranded in a dispute over changes to pay and working conditions. Last month, British Airways announced a record loss of £208 million ($345 million) for the six months that ended Sept. 30. On Monday, it said that the deficit in its employee pension fund had more than doubled to £3.7 billion as of last March, from £1.8 billion a year earlier. The airline has announced plans to shed 5,000 jobs by the end of March, which represents about 13 percent of the current staff of 39,000. Willie Walsh, the airline’s chief executive, has referred to 2009 as the toughest year in the history of aviation. “Given our record financial losses, our package for cabin crew is very fair and reasonable,” said Cathy West, a spokeswoman for the airline. “British Airways cabin crew are rightly renowned for their professionalism and skills, and we want to continue to recognize that.” According to the Civil Aviation Authority, British Airways cabin crew are among the highest paid in Britain, earning twice as much as their counterparts at Virgin Atlantic Airlines. Long-haul cabin staff earn £35,000 to £56,000 a year, depending on rank and experience, while short-haul salaries range from £18,000 to £52,000. See here the last update on BA Website
