Although the Unite trade union held back from announcing when any stoppages would take place, the threat of more industrial action by Labour’s biggest donor triggered a political row last night.
Theresa Villiers, the aviation minister rounded on Unite, which is also balloting tanker drivers in another dispute.
“Once again Ed Miliband’s union paymasters are threatening huge disruption to the plans of the British travelling public. Absolutely no good will come from a further round of strikes.”
It was unclear last night what form the industrial action might take, with Len McLuskey, Unite’s general secretary elect, calling for fresh peace talks.
Last year 22 days of strikes led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and cost the airline £150 million.
Because of the need to keep the dispute “live”, Unite will probably have to call at least one full day’s strike to give its members legal indemnity from being sacked over the next 12 weeks.
This would keep the union’s options over the spring, even though other forms of industrial action could be adopted which, though short of a full strike, would still give BA problems.
“Things have moved on from a year ago,” said Duncan Holley, branch secretary of the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association branch of Unite.
“We have to look at creative cat and mouse tactics.
“BA is more organised than a year ago, we will have to go at things from a different angle.
“We won’t get what we want from sheer brute force, but we won’t win by pussyfooting either.”
Agreement the long-running dispute was thought to have been close in October when Tony Woodley, Unite’s joint secretary, and Willie Walsh, British Airways Chief Executive, were said to have “shaken hands” on a deal.
But it fell apart following an argument over the fine print of the agreement, triggering the latest strike ballot.
The strike call was backed by 78.5 per cent of those who voted in a poll which attracted a 75 per cent turnout.
Unite said that the size of the vote and turn out showed that a majority of its members were still in favour of industrial action.
“For the fourth time in 13 months, British Airways cabin crew have voted overwhelmingly in support of their union and expressed their dissatisfaction with management behaviour,” said Mr McCluskey.
“Indeed, the turnout and the majority on this occasion are much greater than in the last ballot.
“Surely BA management must now wake up and listen to the voice of their skilled and dedicated employees.”
But a BA spokesman said that the strike had only been backed by 43 per cent of its 13,500 crew – a number which includes more than 3,000 people who are not members of Unite.
“Unite has lost about 2,500 cabin crew members since this dispute started, as crew have voted with their feet,” a BA spokesman said.
“Even with a smaller membership, the proportion of Unite members supporting disruption continues to fall, contrary to the union's claims.
“We urge Unite to return to the deal we negotiated, which guarantees pay rises for the next two years and secures terms and conditions for our existing crew that are the best in the UK industry.”
