Managers are braced for news of walkouts by thousands of members of the Unite union in a long running row over changes to working practices, a pay freeze and job cuts.

A mass meeting of workers will be held today ahead of an expected announcement of what action will be taken.

The union will have to give seven days notice of strikes, so the first walkout could be on December 21, at the start of one of the busiest weeks of the year for airlines.

The prospect of strikes has grown following the failure of last-ditch talks between BA’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, and leaders of Unite on Friday.

BA said Mr Walsh repeated the airline’s commitment to consider new ideas about future recruitment of new crew.

”Our package is very fair and reasonable, providing opportunities for part-time working and pay rises of between 2 per cent and 7 per cent for 75 per cent of crew,” said a spokesman yesterday.

If the cabin crew go on strike it will be the first walkout of its kind since 1997, when BA’s employees went on strike for three days.

A threatened strike was averted at the last minute two years ago.

BA recorded a pre-tax loss of £401 million last year and is reportedly losing £1.6 million a day following a downturn in the industry.

BA’s head of in-flight customer experience, Bill Francis, said the two sides had been talking for nine months, but the company could not wait any longer to implement changes because of the financial ”crisis” it faced.

The airline had decided to cut cabin crew numbers and employ new crew on different contracts, which the union said involved worse pay and conditions.

The union is taking legal action against BA over the reduction in cabin crew, with a court case due to be held in February.

BA said a strike would cost it millions of pounds, making the changes and savings it needed ”much bigger”. (Via Telegraph)