Rift Concern

McAuslan said he’s concerned that a rift is developing between flight attendant and pilots as Unite’s BASSA division, which represents cabin crew, holds out for a better deal from the airline after blocking a settlement in November.

“Unite is the prisoner of a branch that’s lost the plot a bit and cabin crew who have been badly led are frustrated,” he said. “But at the end of all of this flight and cabin crew need to work together. This is a safety critical industry.”

Unite has no comment on Balpa’s remarks, spokeswoman Pauline Doyle said by telephone. The union’s leadership aims to meet with cabin-crew representatives later this week to determine the next course of action, she said.

Pilots will begin negotiating a new pay deal of their own in the spring, McAuslan said at the briefing.