BA ground staff to vote on walkouts

Holidaymakers face chaos this summer as the largest union representing thousands of British Airways ground staff ordered a strike ballot.

Check-in staff and baggage handlers are expected to obey the TGWU's strike call in a dispute over pay. The ballot will take about three weeks and the union must give seven days notice of industrial action - meaning flights could be grounded from the end of next month.

Heathrow and Gatwick will be the most seriously affected airports. Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Southampton could also suffer disruption.

BA made an unprecedented appeal to staff not to take part. In letters to 12,000 home addresses it warned industrial action "would cause serious damage to our company... and ultimately our future". BA has offered pay rises of
8.5 or 10.5 per cent over three years but with the condition that the higher figure would not count towards pensions.

The GMB, the second largest union representing ground staff, has already ordered a strike ballot and is certain to get a vote in favour of action. It claimed BA's offers amounted to a "pay standstill".