Pilots' strike looms nearer

The threat of a damaging pilots' strike at a leading UK airline has loomed nearer.

Pilots' union Balpa announced that pilots at two more divisions of the bmi airline had voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a row over pay.

This followed the decision by pilots of the airline's low-fare carrier bmibaby to vote for a strike.

Balpa said pilots in bmi mainline, the original division of the company which flies a major part of its operation out of Heathrow, voted by 89% to 11% to take strike action in a 92% poll.

Pilots in bmi regional voted by 86% to 13% to take strike action in a 97% poll. Some days ago, bmibaby pilots voted 73% for and 27% against industrial action.

Balpa will now decide when strikes will take place, although union-management talks are scheduled for next week. A wide range of airports will be affected, including Heathrow, Aberdeen, Manchester, Norwich, Southampton, Stornoway, Cardiff, Birmingham, East Midlands, Teesside, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Balpa general secretary Jim McAuslan said: "One could be an accident, two a coincidence, but with all three pilot groups supporting strike action we have revealed a real feeling of injustice among pilots.

"Although there are separate and specific issues of dispute in each division, the overarching concern is that the company is bulldozing through change."

He went on: "Pilots are highly professional people but in bmi they feel they are not appreciated. There is a total lack of respect.

"Pilots in bmibaby had their take-home pay cut without any consultation whatsoever. Pilots in bmi mainline are having their pension scheme contributions increased from 10% to 18.5%. Pilots in bmi regional have poor roster arrangements which become unmanageable as a result of fatigue-inducing changes. And all these results together show that bmi pilots are saying is enough is enough."