British Airways could face a wave of strikes after it was revealed it may create a subsidiary firm to employ its 12,000 cabin crew on worse pay and conditions, thisismoney.co.uk reports.
The move is reported to be one of a series of cost cutting measures being considered by the airline to cope with the financial results of a weakening economy and the spiralling price of aviation fuel - which has leapt by 84% in the past year. The website reports that the plan would scrap pay structures and see staff transferred to the new firm on reduced rates.
However, 'senior officials of the Unite union' - representing cabin crew - threatened strike action unless the plan - which has not even been announced - is withdrawn. The websites senior union source said: 'BA wants to pay us less and wreck our working conditions. There will be big trouble over this.'
However, Simon Talling-Smith, BA's head of Inflight Services, told the website: 'BA, like all airlines, needs to make plans to survive the economic downturn. Inflight Services has been asked to explore options to address costs and managers have been spending time on this. As always, we explore different options, many of which we never pursue. At this point, the evaluations are not finished and any proposals are not complete.' |
