By Steve Rothwell - Aug 12, 2010

London’s Heathrow airport, the busiest in Europe, may be shut by a strike after firefighters, engineers and security staff voted for a walkout in their pay dispute with Spanish owner Ferrovial SA.

The Unite union will meet with representatives of members employed by Ferrovial’s BAA Ltd. unit on Aug. 16 to consider what action to take after almost 75 percent of participants in a three-week poll voted for a walkout, it said today in London.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, the U.K.’s state-funded mediator, will facilitate an early meeting between BAA and the union “once diaries can be cleared,” it said in an e-mailed statement.

Unite says BAA employees are due a wage increase after last year agreeing to accept a pay freeze as demand for air travel plummeted during the recession. Flights at Heathrow have already been grounded on 22 days this year during strikes by British Airways Plc cabin crew, and that dispute is still unresolved after talks broke down today without a deal, the union said.

“BAA has constantly ignored the contribution its employees make to the ongoing success of the business,” Brian Boyd, Unite’s national aviation officer, said at a press conference. The company’s offer of a 1.5 percent salary increase, coupled with the withdrawal of 1,000 pounds ($1,560) of payments, is “confrontational,” he said.

Mandate Questioned

BAA says it offered a “fair” deal given the extent of the slump in passenger numbers during the slowdown. The London-based company said in a statement that it regretted the uncertainty caused to passengers, urged Unite to reach an agreement and questioned whether the union had a mandate for strike action.

About 49 percent of those eligible voted in the ballot, with 36 percent of the total workforce backing a strike.

In addition to Heathrow, the world’s busiest airport after Atlanta Hartsfield, the ballot also included staff at BAA’s London Stansted airport and terminals in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen in Scotland and Southampton in southern England.

Irish discount carrier Ryanair Holdings Plc, which has flights at Stansted, said BAA staff were “selfish and underworked” and that that should be reflected in their pay.

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said today before the result of the strike ballot was announced that any action by BAA’s airport workers would damage the economy. Ferrovial shares closed down 1.3 percent at 6.14 euros in Madrid.

The union would have to give BAA seven days’ notice of any strike. London’s Luton and Gatwick airports aren’t owned by the company and wouldn’t be affected.

Negotiations With BA

Negotiations with British Airways separately ended without a breakthrough in a 19-month dispute over pay and staffing levels, Unite spokesman Andrew Murray told reporters on the fringes of today’s press conference regarding the BAA vote.

“No substantial progress” was made in the talks, with the restoration of travel perks for striking workers remaining the chief sticking point, Murray said. Unite will remain in touch with British Airways via ACAS and aims to meet with the company again next week.

The union is still considering a legal challenge to the withdrawal of perks and a ballot on further strike action remains a possibility, according to Murray.

British Airways, which closed 1.6 percent lower at 213.8 pence, has reached an agreement on improved productivity among about 3,000 ground staff at Heathrow, GMB union official Mick Rix said today by phone. As many as 500 posts may be eliminated in the deal, on which workers will vote next week, he said.

In addition to walkouts, Heathrow has also suffered disruption this year from airspace closures after a volcanic eruption in Iceland.

To contact the reporter on this story: Steve Rothwell in London at srothwell@bloomberg.net
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We depart Friday, August 20 from LAX to Jo'burg via London Heathrow...now I have one more thing to worry about!!!!!!

Regards, D. Nelson

Here is the latest from the BAA website - let's hope this is a non-event!

quote:

We regret the uncertainty caused to our passengers and business partners by the trade union ballot for strike action at our UK airports.

At this stage no flights from our UK airports are affected and no dates for industrial action have been set.

More than half of those eligible to vote in the strike ballot did not do so and we believe the result does not provide a clear mandate for strike action. We believe that our offer of a conditional 1.5% pay increase is fair and reasonable during a very difficult economic climate for the aviation industry.

We look forward to meeting the trade unions on Monday 16 August and are ready to meet over the weekend to quickly conclude an agreement.

We will update this page if the situation changes.

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:
We depart Friday, August 20 from LAX to Jo'burg via London Heathrow...now I have one more thing to worry about!!!!!!

Regards, D. Nelson

Here's hoping you and later, we, don't run into this. Good hunting.

BAA statement

We are pleased that the basis of an agreement has been reached on pay, that is fair to staff but which also reflects the difficult economic climate.

Our priority is to work with our people to improve the service we provide passengers and airlines, and we look forward to doing that in the busy weeks ahead.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Turner - Total Travel Solutions:
BAA statement

We are pleased that the basis of an agreement has been reached on pay, that is fair to staff but which also reflects the difficult economic climate.

Our priority is to work with our people to improve the service we provide passengers and airlines, and we look forward to doing that in the busy weeks ahead.

You beat me!! I was looking for this thread to post this link. Good news D Nelson!!

BAA, Union Avert U.K. Airports Strike

Personally, I have avoided London as a transit port whenever I can, even when travelling without firearms.

A friend who travels a lot, said "Heathrow is slowly becoming like one of the American airports. Where the security personnel seem to have been selected for lack of intelligence"

The thing that keeps me traveling British Airways are those fantastic beds in Business Class. It does seem every year I worry about strike potential.

Frostbit: 2 more days...I don't count today, so Wednesday, Thursday...and depart on Friday!!!! Yeah!!!! Buffalo here I come!

Best regards, D. Nelson

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:
The thing that keeps me traveling British Airways are those fantastic beds in Business Class. It does seem every year I worry about strike potential.

Frostbit: 2 more days...I don't count today, so Wednesday, Thursday...and depart on Friday!!!! Yeah!!!! Buffalo here I come!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Happy Birthday in advance young lady. We will lift the Champagne in your honor and imagine you smiling behind your downed Buff.