Flight chaos concern over strike ballot

A STRIKE ballot of airport staff over pay and conditions has raised the prospect of more flight disruption in the Capital.

The Unite union will ballot 6000 members next Friday for strike action at BAA's six UK airports, including Edinburgh.

Already in a long-running cabin crew dispute with British Airways, Unite said it had given airport operator BAA seven days' notice of its intention to hold the ballot.

Another union, Prospect, which represents airport managerial, technical and support staff, has also informed BAA of its intention "to ballot on strike action and action short of a strike in seven days' time".

Prospect negotiator Ben Middleton said: "Given that BAA staff accepted a pay freeze in 2009 to assist the company during a difficult period, the union made it absolutely clear that BAA has let its work force down badly."