Easter strike by BA staff is back on the cards

Strike out: Talks between the company and the powerful GMB union in the pensions row have stalled
13 April 2012

The threat of Easter strike action at British Airways has been renewed.

Talks between the company and the powerful GMB union in the pensions row have stalled.

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BA insists the GMB has joined other unions in accepting changes to the pension scheme aimed at tackling BA's £ 2.1billion pension deficit. The airline says the changes will be introduced on 1 April.

Members of the GMB, which represents more than 4,500 employees including baggage handlers and other ground staff, voted by two to one against moves. The union says changes will leave thousands of lowerpaid workers worse off.

The GMB's Ed Blissett said: "We have definitely not agreed to accept the pension changes. To say we have is a distortion of the truth."

He added: "We are committed to finding a solution but it needs two to tango. We need BA to talk to us but they don't seem too keen to do that."

Mr Blissett confirmed that he and GMB general secretary Paul Kenny met BA chief executive Willie Walsh for talks last week but said there had been no contact since then.

Mr Blissett warned that the GMB "cannot rule out the possibility of an industrial action ballot in the future if negotiations are unsuccessful".

A BA spokesman insisted; "The GMB was part of a group which signed up to the deal as members of the BA Forum (which represents all the unions) on 5 January.

"The union had two or three hours of talks with Mr Walsh last week which were described as constructive.

"There is no new proposal on pensions. A deal is a deal."

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