Virgin pilots to strike
22.06.11
Virgin Atlantic pilots have voted to strike for their first time in the airline's history, in a dispute over pay. The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), the pilots' union, said 97% of its members voted in favour of industrial action, from a ballot turnout of 94%, a result it called ‘overwhelming’.
The ballot was called after year-long pay talks with the airline broke down. The pilots have not had a pay rise since 2008, and were offered a below inflation deal for 2011. Jim McAuslan, BALPA general secretary, said the ‘huge’ vote in favour of strike action sent a clear message to Virgin Atlantic's majority owner, Sir Richard Branson.
He said: ‘Pilots do not want to strike and are hugely disappointed by the company's approach. There has been no UK pilot strike for 32 years. But there comes a time when even moderate people say 'enough'. We hope that Sir Richard will use some of his undoubted Virgin flair to settle this.’
Virgin Atlantic said in a statement: ‘We have made an industry-leading offer to BALPA that is double the national average for a UK business. We value our pilots enormously and that is why we have offered three guaranteed pay rises in the next two and a half years and a share of company profits.’
BALPA has yet to announce any potential strike dates, and said it was open for fresh talks. Virgin Atlantic said it was committed to finding a solution, but is also putting in place contingency plans to minimise the impact of any strikes.
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