British Airways faces the renewed threat of strike action after the Unite union said it will ballot cabin crew later this month.

The Unite union said today that a new ballot will open on January 25 after two weeks of talks BA management failed to produce an agreement on changes to working conditions.

The union was forced to abandon the plan for a 12-day strike over Christmas after the High Court ruled the ballot unlawful. The ballot of the 13,000 crew who belong to the Unite union is expected to take about a month.

“We have told (BA) management all along that this dispute, and the damage it does to BA’s prospects, can only finally be resolved through negotiation,” Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of Unite, said in a statement. “That remains our position, and I hope the company will make the best use of the time available before the ballot closes.”

The news is a blow for BA chief executive Willie Walsh who is attemting to steer the airline through the deepest recession in aviation history. After nursing a record £400m in its last financial year, BA has cut jobs and announced changes to working conditions for staff.

BA said today that it is “saddened but not surprised” by Unite’s decision to call for another ballot, adding that it remains open to talks.

Original Source – Telegraph

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