The British Air Line Pilots Association (Balpa) warned yesterday that there is an increasing likelihood of a strike ballot over British Airways’ proposed changes to employees’ pensions, as relations with the company deteriorate.
Speaking after the latest talks over BA’s plans to resolve the £2.1bn pensions fund deficit ended without agreement on Thursday, BALPA general secretary Jim McAuslan said: ‘It’s approaching crunch-time.
‘BA seem not serious about making a deal.
‘The feeling is that members will need to take industrial action.’
Earlier this week, two mass meetings of BA pilots revealed strong opposition to BA’s plan to raise the retirement age for flight crew from 55 to 65, as well as plans to raise pilots’ retirement age from 55 to 60, and then to 65.
BA has offered to put in a one-off payment of £500m to the pension fund in return for pilots accepting the five to ten year increase in the retirement age, less of a pension and a cap on pensionable pay of no more than official inflation.
BALPA has made counter-proposals of a no more than five years increase in retirement age, and demanded BA up its one-off payment offer to £1bn, without further strings.
There is also mounting resistance to the attack on their pensions among the 13,000 BA cabin crew, the majority of whom are members of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU).
A TGWU spokeswoman told News Line yesterday: ‘We represent about 20,000 staff at BA.
‘We made a joint statement with the unions earlier this week, following the latest meeting we had with BA.
‘At this point there is no agreement between the parties on how we should go forward on pensions.
‘There is still a gap between what BA want to do and what the unions want to do.
‘We were due to meet them again next Tuesday, but BA has delayed the meeting.
‘There is discontent amongst the membership.’
The TGWU’s spokeswoman said the union could ‘not rule out’ the need for a ballot on industrial action in the future.
