British Airways set itself on course for a confrontation with ground workers, cabin crew and pilots after admitting that its huge pension fund deficit must be reduced if it is to survive, the Times writes. 222 words
23 March 2006
Holidaymakers could face a summer of travel misery as trade unions raised the possibility of strike action over plans by Britain’s flagship airline to force employees to work until they are 65, the paper says.

Brendan Gold, of the T&G, which represents more than 20,000 BA workers, said that the union was “determined to fight to protect our members’ pensions”. A T&G spokesman added:

“Strike action will be decided by our members but we’re ruling nothing in and nothing out.” The spokesman said that it was too soon to know when industrial action might be scheduled, the Times says.

Jim McAuslan, general secretary of Balpa, the pilots’ union, said that there had always been a prospect of industrial action over the pensions issue. “But I’m not going to elevate it because that closes down the opportunity for discussion,” he said, according to the newspaper.
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