British Airways in talks to avoid strike action

British Airways is to take part in a new round of talks aimed at heading off potential industrial action by unions angered with the airline's latest job cuts.

The flag carrier last week unveiled plans to axe 1,700 jobs, and with rumours circulating of a further 1,300 redundancies unions say they may have "no alternative" but to strike.

If industrial action goes ahead, it would most likely be timed to cause maximum disruption to passengers during the hectic holiday period around Christmas.

The Unite union has sent a letter to its members labelling the threatened cutbacks, which also include new rotas, a "fundamental attack" on their jobs.

"BA seem to be going looking for trouble at the moment," a union source close to the negotiations was quoted by the Press Association as saying earlier today.

"Instead of looking to make discussion or negotiations work, they prefer to force through changes even if it puts them into dispute with most of their workforce. We really hope there are wiser heads on the board who may be able to get management to pull back."

The job cuts come in addition to a proposed two-year pay-freeze for current staff, as well as a significant reduction in starting salaries for new employees.

But BA defends the measures, insisting that tightened working conditions are a necessary facet of the wider cost-cutting drive being rolled out across the company.

The airline has targeted everything from in-flight meals to baggage allowances in a bid to boost revenue after it posted devastating losses of £401 million this year. During the summer, CEO Willie Walsh repeatedly stated that it is in a "fight for survival".

BA had previously warned that staff numbers will fall by 3,700 during the current round of job cuts, which follow 2,500 redundancies between June 2008 and March 2009.

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