Decision Comes As Union Authorizes Pilots Strike

The heated standoff between pilots and management at British Airways approached the tipping point this week, as pilots overwhelming approved a motion to strike the carrier... but in the 11th hour, pilots backed down, and agreed to enter mediation.

As ANN reported, at the heart of the dispute is the airline's announcement of a new subsidiary dubbed "OpenSkies," which will take full advantage of an impending change in legislation affecting flights between the United States and Europe. The airline is due to launch luxury service in June.

The British Air Line Pilots Association (BALPA) alleges the airline plans to "massively outsource" flying duties on OpenSkies to pilots with less training, for lower pay. With those pilots in hand, the union says British Airways will then pressure its mainline workforce to accept lower wages, as well -- an accusation the airline says won't happen.

Union officials met Thursday with BA executives, reports USA Today, and agreed to have their dispute mediated. The meeting came one day after 86 percent of union members voted to strike over the launch of Open Skies.

BALPA general secretary Jim McAuslan said in a joint statement with BA management the strike vote shows how serious pilots are about striking... but that they are also willing to negotiate, for the sake of the traveling public.

"We have no quarrel with the traveling public and have always maintained that these issues could be resolved through negotiation rather than confrontation," McAuslan said.

British Airways CEO Willie Walsh echoed that sentiment, stating he's "confident that a settlement can be achieved through conciliation" without disrupting the airline's schedule.

An average British Airways pilot makes about $117,000 a year, said BALPA spokesman Keith Bill. OpenSkies' pilots will earn about 25% less.

FMI: www.balpa.org, www.britishairways.com