Unite to ballot Virgin Atlantic cabin crew for strike action
2 November 2007
Virgin Atlantic cabin crew have voted to reject the company's
latest pay offer. Unite the Union has today written to give notice
to Virgin Atlantic that the union will ballot its members for
strike action.
The staff believe that they have been undervalued for too long
by Virgin. Their pay considerably lags behind the pay of cabin crew
staff working for British Airways who can earn up to £10K more than
Virgin cabin crew flying the same business routes. On holiday
routes Virgin cabin crew also earn considerably less than their
competitors.
In a clear majority, 60% of Virgin's cabin crew voted to reject
the company's latest pay offer. Virgin have offered a two year deal
where cabin crew staff would receive 4.8% in the first year (from
April 2007) and RPI in the second year (from April 2008).
Unite National Officer, Brian Boyd, says: "Virgin Atlantic cabin
crew believe that their professionalism and dedication has been
undervalued for far too long. On the same business routes, cabin
crew at British Airways can earn £10K more than the cabin crew at
Virgin.
"Unite is calling upon Virgin Atlantic to deliver a long term
solution to this problem. It has gone on for too long and our
members have had enough. Unite has written to the company today to
inform them that the union will ballot its members for strike
action within the next two weeks."
Unite has 3200 members at Virgin Atlantic.
-ENDS-
Contact: Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931 315.
