Last edit by: Tobias-UK
LATEST UPDATE: 7 July 2022
British Airway's employed ground staff, based mainly at LHR. have voted in favour of strike action in respect of a dispute relating to pay and conditions. This strike ballot is valid for 6 months, and allows the unions to nominate strike dates, provided the employer has 2 weeks notice of the strike. The general tendency in the UK is for relatively short strike dates, typically a day or two, but several of them separate by several days.
Updated: 7 July/2022, no strike dates have been provided and an agreement in principle has been reached with the Unions. Two weeks notice must be provided by the unions. This means there will be no strikes before 21 July 2022. However though the ballot is valid 6 months, the first strike needs to be within 4 weeks, which is 23 July 2022. This can extended by a further 4 weeks if the employer agrees, for example to facilitate a ballot of the agreement. So that suggests there won't be a strike in July and there may well be no strikes at all for this employment group.
Those involved in this strike are check-in staff, baggage handlers, lounge staff, gate agents, some turnaround managers, and related airport staff. Cabin and flight crew are not in this dispute. LGW and LCY flights are not in this dispute. Contract ground agents - at LHR and out stations - are also not involved. Some roles can be performed by management, but it is unlikely that core activties at LHR Terminal 3 and Terminal 5 can avoid significant disruption. If flights are disrupted by strkes then usually BA allows people to move their flights to alternative dates and other arrangements (e.g. rebooking on AA). There is a separate dispute being worked through involving call centre staff and engineers, but there is no ballot at this point, so any strike is some way off.
British Airway's employed ground staff, based mainly at LHR. have voted in favour of strike action in respect of a dispute relating to pay and conditions. This strike ballot is valid for 6 months, and allows the unions to nominate strike dates, provided the employer has 2 weeks notice of the strike. The general tendency in the UK is for relatively short strike dates, typically a day or two, but several of them separate by several days.
Updated: 7 July/2022, no strike dates have been provided and an agreement in principle has been reached with the Unions. Two weeks notice must be provided by the unions. This means there will be no strikes before 21 July 2022. However though the ballot is valid 6 months, the first strike needs to be within 4 weeks, which is 23 July 2022. This can extended by a further 4 weeks if the employer agrees, for example to facilitate a ballot of the agreement. So that suggests there won't be a strike in July and there may well be no strikes at all for this employment group.
Those involved in this strike are check-in staff, baggage handlers, lounge staff, gate agents, some turnaround managers, and related airport staff. Cabin and flight crew are not in this dispute. LGW and LCY flights are not in this dispute. Contract ground agents - at LHR and out stations - are also not involved. Some roles can be performed by management, but it is unlikely that core activties at LHR Terminal 3 and Terminal 5 can avoid significant disruption. If flights are disrupted by strkes then usually BA allows people to move their flights to alternative dates and other arrangements (e.g. rebooking on AA). There is a separate dispute being worked through involving call centre staff and engineers, but there is no ballot at this point, so any strike is some way off.
BA ground staff at LHR: Summer '22 strike threat suspended after deal agreed
#136
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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i agree. I think we are getting sidetracked in to something which simply isnt actually going to happen.
#137
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
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As a data point, in a previous strike we were due to travel home on a direct flight BGI-LHR, instead BA re routed us BGI -MIA on AA, MIA-MAD on IB and MAD-LHR also on IB. Total route took about 10 hours longer, no compensation due.
#138
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#140
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Summer strike
Is there any insider sniff from someone here connected with BA of dates that these strikes might be, if they go ahead?
I have long-haul flights booked on July 2nd, coming back to London on the 12th, carrying on to the States on the 14th and wonder if I need to hold something as a back up.
Maybe too early to know.
Thanks
I have long-haul flights booked on July 2nd, coming back to London on the 12th, carrying on to the States on the 14th and wonder if I need to hold something as a back up.
Maybe too early to know.
Thanks
#141
Join Date: Jul 2014
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The general consensus seems to be they’ll target the start of the English school holidays around the 22nd/23rd/24th, so you may be ok.
Last edited by Oxon Flyer; Jun 24, 2022 at 7:23 am Reason: Remove redirection link after threads were merged
#143
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#144
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Originally Posted by British Airways
Were extremely disappointed with the result and that the unions have chosen to take this course of action. Despite the extremely challenging environment and losses of more than 4bn, we made an offer of a 10% payment which was accepted by the majority of other colleagues.
We are fully committed to work together to find a solution, because to deliver for our customers and rebuild our business we have to work as a team. We will of course keep our customers updated about what this means for them as the situation evolves.
We are fully committed to work together to find a solution, because to deliver for our customers and rebuild our business we have to work as a team. We will of course keep our customers updated about what this means for them as the situation evolves.
#145
Join Date: Jul 2005
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I also think that the BA staff have a point in this situation and as others have said, they may have broader support than is usually the case with potential strike action.
However, aiming for the peak summer holiday times might seem clever by the union but will rapidly lose support if they hit family holidays. Im due to fly long haul from LHR with my family on 22 July and we fervently hope that we wont be impacted as this holiday has been a very long time in the planning.
However, aiming for the peak summer holiday times might seem clever by the union but will rapidly lose support if they hit family holidays. Im due to fly long haul from LHR with my family on 22 July and we fervently hope that we wont be impacted as this holiday has been a very long time in the planning.
#146
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#147
formerly JackDann
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 1,631
I've just double checked this (Not after a couple of pints) and I was right, there is not a single reward flight available for the whole of June. Extremely annoying! Still reward availability on EI although extortionate Taxes and Fee's.
#148
Join Date: Oct 2008
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The fact that the union ballot is overwhelmingly in favour of strike action suggests that this is not childish at all but is either a colossal example of groupthink in action, or (vastly more likely IMO) a genuine sense of injustice amongst the workers upon whose labour the business depends.
If you think that your holiday is more important than the ground staff having to choose between feeding their kids and heating their homes this winter then I don't know what to say to you.
Last edited by Joeykins; Jun 24, 2022 at 5:33 am Reason: another post appeared before what I was trying to reply to
#149
Join Date: Apr 2015
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It's also a free market for summer holidays, unless you're suggesting changing employer is easier than changing your summer holiday plans...
#150
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Wouldnt it be better to give back the 10% pay cut to a workforce that is already in situ?