BA cabin crew strike latest: Thomas Cook steps in to help operate flights

Airline’s ‘Mixed Fleet’ staff warned of sanctions including loss of travel perks and bonuses

The current four-day stoppage ends on Tuesday, and another four-day strike begins on Thursday 22 February (Getty)

As another cabin-crew strike begins, British Airways has cancelled 10 flights today to and from Heathrow, including a round-trip to Doha.

Some departures have been covered by chartering in planes and crews from other airlines, such as Thomas Cook, which is operating some flights from Heathrow to Manchester and back.

Members of the Unite union working for BA’s “Mixed Fleet” operation have taken 11 days of industrial action so far this year in a dispute over what they term “poverty pay”.

The Independent understands that British Airways’ director of customer experience, Troy Warfield, has warned the strikers that they will lose two years of travel perks as well as bonuses for 2016 and 2017.

A BA spokesperson declined to comment on the detail of the sanctions but said: “We want to encourage our colleagues to come to work and therefore have repeatedly explained the consequences of taking strike action to them.”

Mixed Fleet flights to and from Hamburg and Dusseldorf have been cancelled, as well as two round-trips to Aberdeen. The airline says passengers will be accommodated on other services.

BA’s Mixed Fleet operation serves around 50 domestic, European and long-haul routes from Heathrow. All the staff have been recruited since the last cabin-crew dispute ended in 2010. They are employed on inferior terms to longer-serving staff.

Flights to Doha are operated by BA’s Worldwide cabin crew; they are not involved in the dispute, but are being deployed elsewhere to cover for Mixed Fleet operations.

Passengers on the cancelled Doha flights are being switched to Qatar Airways services. Qatar Airways owns one-fifth of IAG, BA’s holding company.

The current four-day stoppage ends on Tuesday, and another four-day strike begins on Thursday 22 February. Services from Gatwick, London City and Stansted are unaffected.

Unite says cabin crew earn an average of £16,000, including allowances, a year. BA does not recognise this figure, saying that the lowest-paid full-time member of Mixed Fleet earned more than £21,000 last year.

The union estimates the airline has spend £1m on “wet leasing” planes from other carriers to cover for BA aircraft grounded by strikes.

Unite’s regional officer, Matt Smith, said: “We would urge British Airways to reconsider its costly intransigence and enter talks at Acas and reach an agreement.”

Before Christmas it appeared a deal had been reached after intense negotiations between BA and Unite’s general secretary, Len McCluskey.

A strike planned for 25 and 26 December was called off, and the offer was put to members. But between Christmas and New Year, the deal was rejected in a poll.