Second union targets holiday

The second biggest union representing ground staff at British Airways warned today it will order a 24-hour strike on the Friday of the August Bank Holiday if peace talks fail.

All unions are today meeting BA in an effort to avert the strike - already announced by the giant Transport and General Workers Union - which threatens the summer holiday plans of more than 100,000 travellers.

The knock-on effect of the strike will mean cancellations and delays over the remainder of the weekend. The TGWU, representing 8,000 ground staff, mainly baggage handlers, announced yesterday it will order its members out on strike from 4.30am tomorrow week in the escalating row over pay.

Now senior sources at the GMB union, which has 3,000 check-in staff members, says if today's talks fail it will order strike action at the same time to put added pressure on the company.

Union leaders, however, maintain that they are not that far off from agreeing a deal with BA and that the company can afford to increase its pay offer.

BA has offered two options for staged pay rises; 8.5 per cent over three years or 10.5 per cent over three years but with the condition that the higher figure would not count towards pensions. Both offers have been turned down. The company says union demands amount to a 14.5 per cent increase over three years.

Union anger over the pay issue increased this week when BA revealed pre-tax profits of £115 million for the first quarter of the year compared with a £45 million loss a year earlier.

BA has now improved the offer saying staff can earn an extra £1,000 provided they do not take more than 16 days off sick over the next two years.

The unions say it is wrong to the offer discriminates against the ill.