Unite union members working for British Airports Authority (BAA) have voted overwhelmingly for strike action, the union announced at a press conference yesterday afternoon.
The union balloted 6,185 staff including security staff, engineers, fire-fighters and support staff at BAA’s six airports: Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.
Unite national officer for civil aviation, Brian Boyd told reporters: ‘Members have voted three to one in favour of strike action.
‘The figures are as follows – ballot papers returned: 3,055; spoiled papers 1; 2,263 voted yes; 791 voted no for strike action.
‘That’s a 74.1 per cent vote in favour of strike action.
‘That’s a clear mandate for strike action.’
Earlier, Prime Minister Cameron had jumped into the fray and warned BAA workers not to strike, hours before the result of their ballot was announced.
Cameron told a morning Downing Street press conference: ‘These sorts of strikes never achieve anything apart from damage – damage to business, damage to jobs, damage to the interests of tourists who want to come to visit Britain, or people who want to leave Britain and have a holiday overseas.
‘I very much hope that they don’t go ahead. They will do nothing but harm. We want to demonstrate that Britain is open for business.’
It turned out that the Unite union leaders do not want the strike to go ahead either. At the press conference they made it clear that their priority is to seek negotiations and they saw the strike ‘threat’ as a means to achieve this.
Boyd said: ‘Last year BAA’s employees accepted a pay freeze to help the company because they understood the difficult financial operating environment within civil aviation.
‘A pay offer of one per cent plus the withdrawal of two payments worth over £1,000 is simply confrontational.’
He added: ‘Unite members have delivered a strong message that they deserve more.’
However he said: ‘It gives BAA the opportunity to return to the table, we hope they return to negotiations.’
Fellow Unite national officer for civil aviation, Brendan Gold, added that BAA’s offer amounted to a pay cut.
He said: ‘This ballot result reflects what our members feel about BAA’s current attitude.
‘For the past four months BAA has refused to even meet with us. . .
‘We are therefore calling on BAA to return to the negotiating table with a fair offer.’
The two leaders refused to name strike dates saying they will be meeting with Unite representatives on Monday, 16th August.
