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Thousands of families traveling for the August Bank Holidays had their plans thrown into chaos after BAA workers voted to strike, three to one. Firefighters, security guards and engineers voted overwhelmingly to walkout after rejecting a 1% pay offer from the airport operator. BAA has confirmed its airports would have to close on any strike days meaning Heathrow and Stansted will shut their doors. BAA said the vote was "not a mandate for strikes" as only half of the unions members voted. Speaking at a press conference this evening the Unite leadership said the vote for industrial action was to "force BAA back to the negotiating table". Unite's Brendan Gold said it was not their intention to ruin people's summer holidays: "The advice we would give to passengers is to put pressure on the company to come to reach a negotiated settlement."
Members will walkout for seven days prior to a meeting with shop stewards on Monday 16th. It would have to give a minimum of a week's notice for strike action, meaning walkouts could begin from the week starting 23 August. Prospect Union who represent 100 managers, technical and support staff at BAA airports, today voted 53% favour of strike action. Gatwick airport could also be hit as Prospect members working for BAA are based there. Prime Minister David Cameron said a strike "will achieve nothing apart damage". Unite said 74.1% of the 3,054 staff who voted had said yes to strike action. The turnout was about 50% of the 6,185 staff balloted. The union is also involved in a seperate long running dispute with British Airways, BAA's number one customer. "Paltry offer" Unite called BAA's pay offer of a 1% increase this year "paltry", but the company says it is reasonable "at a time when BAA and its airline customers are seeing a decline in passengers due to the impacts of recession and volcanic ash". A pay freeze was agreed in 2009 and a 1% increase with the possibility of an extra 0.5% if the union agrees to changes to the company's sickness agreement was described as "measly" and "nothing short of confrontational". Unite are also demanding a bonus, promised to them if the company met a certain earnings target - the target was missed by 3%. "We will keep talking" Unite's national officers for civil aviation, Brendan Gold and Brian Boyd, said they had been in talks with BAA for months and were prepared to continue talking. He said: "A negotiated agreement can be reached if the company is prepared to be fairer and more realistic".
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