British Airways pilots are set to vote on industrial action as union British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) is preparing to hold a strike ballot.
The ballot comes following a dispute with the airline over pay.
The union joined forces with unions Unite and GMB in November 2018 to submit a joint pay claim to British Airways, and has been engaging in discussions since.
British Airways offered a pay increase in may of 11.5 per cent over three years, but this offer has been rejected by BALPA.
The union previously held a consultative ballot amongst its members, in which it says 96 per cent voted against the proposal and called for a strike ballot.
Now the union is due to hold a month-long vote which will kick off next week, where members can vote for or against potential industrial action.
It's worth noting that this strike ballot is for BALPA members only and does not include Unite and GMB members.
If BALPA members do vote in favour of strike action, it's unclear yet when these would go ahead.
However the summer travel season will be in full swing, so it could be that if potential strikes did coincide with this travel season some holidaymakers could face disruption to their plans.
There is also the possibility that members will vote against strike action which means there would be no disruption to flights.
A representative for British Airways said in a statement: "We are extremely disappointed that the pilots' union, BALPA, has raised the prospect of a ballot for industrial action.
"We urge them to join us for mediation with the conciliation service ACAS, to reach an agreement and protect hard-working families planning their summer breaks.
"We believe our pay and benefits for pilots are among the best in the industry, with around 1,000 applications from pilots who want to move to us from other airlines every year.
BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said in a statement: "All three unions have been working for the benefit of their respective members.
"Given we collectively represent some 40,000 employees, this is something that British Airways should pay careful attention to.
"For the pilots that BALPA represents, it is quite simple: BA has been enormously profitable, and the employees should have a fair share of that success which, after all, they produce for the company."
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