Strikes cost us BA travel perks, say Scots crew

Published on Monday 19 July 2010 21:07

BRITISH Airways cabin crew living in Scotland are claiming discrimination for losing travel discounts to commute to their base at Heathrow Airport because they joined the strikes this spring.

The move comes as the Unite union will today announce whether cabin crew have backed BA's latest offer in the long-running dispute over cuts. A strike ballot is likely to be ordered if the deal is rejected.

The Scottish staff involved in the discrimination action are part of a group representing 75 staff who are lodging cases at an employment tribunal in Reading, Berkshire.

Staff travel perks were withdrawn from strikers by BA earlier in the dispute,

The group, Crew Defence, also includes staff living in Ireland and mainland Europe.

Some Scottish cabin crew have commuted to London since BA closed its base at Glasgow airport two years ago, from where 138 people operated.

BA has pledged to restore the travel discounts - of up to 90 per cent of the cost of flights - if Unite agrees to the peace deal, but not the seniority of those taking part.

That means they will lose privileged access to such fares.

A BA spokesman said: "We totally reject the claim of discrimination and will defend any claim vigorously."

In a letter to Unite members, joint leaders Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson said: "It is up to you to make up your minds as to whether this offer is acceptable to you."

The British Airways Stewards and Stewardesses Association (Bassa), the cabin crew branch of Unite, has published a guide to the offer, called "the good, the bad, the promises and the threats".

The good points were said to be a pay rise of 2.9 per cent in 2011-12 and a 3 per cent rise the following year.