British Airways strike set to go ahead as airline loses against pilots’ union in court
A STRIKE by British Airways pilot is set to go ahead after the airline failed its bid to stop the industrial action.
The airline said it will be appealing the decision and dates have yet to be confirmed.
An overwhelming number of pilots have voted for the strike action earlier this week according to British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA).
British Airways went to court today to seek an injunction to stop the strike over a technicality, which meant the ballot (the vote) would be invalid.
But the judge presiding over the case said the pilots union had issued its ballot correctly and therefore the ballot result could stand according to BALPA.
The union will announce confirmed dates in due course as BA is planning to go to the Court of Appeal over the decision, but the earlier this will happen is July 29.
The union will then need to give BA two weeks of notice by law.
This means if BA are not able to block the strike, pilots could start walking out from August 13.
Will I get my money back if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
If your flight is cancelled, you have the legal right to either a full refund within seven days or a replacement flight to your destination.
This applies for whatever reason your flight was cancelled or how long before you were told it would no longer be be flying.
If your flight is delayed by three hours or more and you were flying to or from a European airport, or with an EU-based airline such as Ryanair or British Airways, then you can claim compensation up to €250 (£229) for short-haul flights and €400 (£367) for mid-haul flights and €600 (£530) for long-haul flights.
But the airline might not payout if it's out of their control, for example, due to bad weather or strikes.
Brian Strutton, BALPA's General Secretary, said in a statement: “"While we're pleased with the judge's decision, we're frustrated that time has been wasted. BA could have spent this time coming back to the negotiating table instead of trying - and failing - to tie us up in legal knots.
“This delay will now continue with BA seeking to appeal against the Hight Court’s decision.
“As a result it’s now likely the talks scheduled with ACAS on Friday will have to be postponed.
"We ask that BA thinks hard about why 93 per cent of our members feel so strongly about taking strike action.
"The company itself has admitted that even one day of strike action would cost more than what our pilots are asking for, so the ball really is in their court here, to look after their pilots and ensure the hardworking public get to continue their holidays as planned.
“Although legally clear to do so, we have still not set any strike dates to give BA one last chance to commit to negotiating on pilots pay and rewards with us at ACAS later this week.”
The union started balloting its affected members last month after discussions over pay stalled.
The ballot finished earlier today.
The union said that 90 per cent of those affected turned out to vote, with 93 per cent voting in favour of the strike.
According to , the average BA pilot takes home a base pay of £79,695pa with possibility of additional pay, which could include things such as bonuses, totalling up to £69,444pa on average.
STRUCK OUT Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted Airport strikes that could cause travel chaos for Brits this summer
A spokesperson for BA said in a statement: "We are very disappointed with today’s decision. We will continue to pursue every avenue to protect the holidays of thousands of our customers this summer.
“Our proposed pay offer of 11.5 per cent over three years is fair, and by contrast to BALPA, the Unite and GMB trade unions, which represent nearly 90 per cent of all British Airways colleagues, have already recommended the same pay offer to their members.
“We remain open to working with BALPA to reach agreement, which we have been doing since December, and we urge BALPA to return to talks as soon as possible.
“Further information and updates are available at ba.com."
The Sun Says
BRITISH Airways pilots enjoy well-rewarded jobs at one of the best-paying airlines.
But a three-year rise at nearly twice the inflation rate isn’t enough for them. They will strike next month, destroying the holidays of families far less well-off.
What a sickening mix of arrogance, obstinacy and greed.
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A number of strikes are set to affect Brits this summer.
In July and August, main London hubs including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted could all be hit by strikes.
Ryanair pilots are also currently being balloted over strike action.