AROUND 3,000 British Airways cabin crew met on Monday  2nd November. The mass meeting was held at Sandown Park and was held to discuss the possibility of strike action. 

13,000 workers will now be balloted on industrial action.  The ballot will start next week and run until 14th December.  It’s believed that the result of this strike action ballot will be announced on the 14th.

If staff decide to strike they will probably walk out from 21st December.  This will hit British Airways over the busy Christmas period.

Workers are angry at job cuts, a two-year pay freeze and changes in working conditions.  Some also believe that all career prospects will be put on hold.

The background to the strike has already been covered in-depth by Solidarity - see our news articles British Airways: Unilateral action hastens strike action of 10/10/09 and British Airways Strike Looms of 30/10/09.

Adam Walker – the President of Solidarity Trade Union – has previously warned that the arrogance of BA management was only fuelling the anger of the workforce. 

Mr. Walker has once called for the British Airways Chief Executive, Willie Walsh, to sit down with unions to thrash out a last minute deal.