British Airways workers vote on bank holiday strikes

Leaders of 8,000 British Airways workers are today expected to call a ballot on industrial action which would cause the cancellation of flights on strike days.

Leaders of 8,000 British Airways workers are today expected to call a ballot on industrial action which would cause the cancellation of flights on strike days.

The threatened walkouts by check-in staff and baggage handlers could begin in late August, stopping BA services at Heathrow and Gatwick over the bank holiday and cause disruption at other airports.

The Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G) is to announce the ballot after pay talks involving representatives of check-in and administrative personnel broke down yesterday. Negotiations over the wages of baggage handlers and other ground staff had not formally ended, but last night the union's patience had run out.

The T&G and leaders of the minority union GMB have rejected a pay offer tied to the inflation rate which is worth 8.5 per cent over three years, or 10.5 per cent if it does not count towards pensions. The GMB has warned that it would begin balloting by the end of this week if the talks broke down.

Officials at the T&G say that the average pay of baggage handlers is around £14,000 a year and that of administrative and check-in workers £12,000.