After staging several 'walk-outs' this past week, several British Airways "mixed fleet" workers are set to continue their strike for three days starting February 9. The "mixed fleet" workers are currently still in dispute with the British Airways Management, that since 2010 they are receiving "poverty pay" and are forced to take second jobs.
Their pay rates are said to be lower than the other staff, but according to British Airways, their pay offers are consistent with the other deals they have secured. The staff who are on strike said they only earn around $20,000 a year. When confronted with the issue, the management said that no one in their employees earns less than $26,000.
Because of the ongoing strike, almost 50 flights from this month experienced hassle and disruption. But the BA management has already issued a statement that said despite the strike of their workers they will do everything they can to fly their passengers to their destinations, albeit a slight change in travel schedules.
"We have flown all customers to their destinations during the previous strikes by mixed fleet and we will ensure this happens again. This will mean some customers will travel slightly earlier or later in the day than originally booked. We are contacting those customers with the options available to them", said a BA spokesman.
British Airways have warned their employees in staging walkouts and strikes, and said all cabin crew who will participate in the industrial action will be strip off their travel discounts, as well canceling 2 years' worth of bonuses.
But despite all of these, the union representing the mixed fleet employees, Unite, will not stop unless the workers are given the appropriate salary rate. In a statement given by Unite national officer Oliver Richardson, he said: "Mixed fleet cabin crew members continue to show great courage in taking a stand against poverty pay at British Airways."
"Rather than issuing threats and wasting huge amounts of cash on chartering aircraft to cover striking cabin crew, British Airways should start valuing staff who contribute massively to the billions of pounds in profits the airline generates."
A letter from the union also said: "Your reluctance to offer a reasonable pay deal to our members, yet spend what we believe is now reaching millions of pounds in trying to quash strike action, suggests money is available and this is a question of ideology. We urge you to recognize that there is a chance here for British Airways to take a different route."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
