Virgin Pilots to Consider Strike
Passengers face the prospect of yet more air travel misery after Virgin Atlantic’s pilots demanded that negotiations on pay be reopened, with the possibility that they could be balloted on strike action.
Balpa, the union that represents pilots, is understood to have written to Virgin yesterday to outline its concerns over the airline’s proposed pay freeze this year. It is also thought to have texted Virgin pilots to tell them that, if these concerns are not addressed, union members could be balloted on industrial action.
The Virgin move comes as British Airways cabin crew prepare to walk out for a second time on Saturday, this time for four days.
The conflict between BA and its cabin crew has been brewing for a year but Virgin was surprised by the stance taken by the pilots’ union.
The airline had been under the impression that a deal was agreed last month, when its 700 pilots were told that their pay would be frozen for a second year. The pilots are also thought to be angry that they will not receive the profit-related element of their pay this year, which could cost some about £4,000.
Jim McAuslan, the Balpa general secretary, said: “There are a number of ongoing issues between pilots and Virgin Atlantic that we are seeking to resolve. At present no decision has been taken to ballot members on anything.”
A spokeswoman for Virgin said: “Following on from recent productive meetings with senior Balpa representatives, Virgin Atlantic continues to work with the union in a constructive and transparent way. We are not currently in formal discussions over pay. Therefore any suggestion of the need for a ballot is extremely premature, to say the least.”
According to Civil Aviation Authority figures, Virgin’s pilots were paid an average of £89,500 a year, compared with the £107,600 BA’s pilots receive.
As part of BA’s cost-cutting, Balpa agreed to a package of pay cuts last year and its pilots did not take part in BA cabin crew’s industrial action last weekend.
Virgin has also been seeking to reduce costs and announced last year that up to 1,200 staff could lose their jobs. Voluntary redundancies and staff moving to part-time work enabled the carrier to reduce its headcount without resorting to compulsory redundancies.
The potential disruption at Virgin comes amid a wave of industrial unrest across numerous sectors.
BA’s troubles have been the highest- profile so far but rail workers are also threatening their first national walkout in 16 years, which could shut down travel over Easter.
In addition, up to 200,000 civil servants could join a 24-hour national walkout in protest at a 30 per cent cut in redundancy payments.
