Chinelo Obogo

British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has vowed to continue its strike over pay cuts on September 9 and 10, saying that if the issues are not resolved it will go on strike again on September 27.

According to information on the its website, the airline said it would cancel most of its flights because of the industrial conflict.

“We had no option but to cancel nearly 100 per cent our flight,” the airline stated.

On how passengers coming in and going out of Nigeria would be affected, BA Press Office said:

“All customers whose flights were affected on September 9 and 10 were contacted the day we received strikes dates – on the 23rd August.

“Those customers were offered the opportunity to re-book dates to a different destination or on a different airline – or offered a full refund. So the vast majority of our customers have had their travel re-arranged for weeks now.

“We understand the frustration and disruption BALPA’s strike action has caused you. After many months of trying to resolve the pay dispute, we are extremely sorry that it has come to this.

“With no detail from BALPA on which pilots would strike, we had no way of predicting how many would come to work or which aircraft they are qualified to fly, so we had no option but to cancel nearly 100 percent of our flights. BA hopes to resume dialogue with the pilots’ association, to resolve the issue.”

Stating the motive of the action on its Twitter handle, BALPA said pilots who took pay cuts over the years following the airline’s financial crisis to help shore up the company had not been compensated.

“We put forward a proposal to BA management last Wednesday that would have enabled us to call off the strikes for Monday and Tuesday.

“BA’s fat cat managers have failed to listen to their staff and seem determined force pilots to take the strike action.

“The flag carrier is making around £2bn profit and the cost of BALPA’s latest proposal is less than £5m more than British Airways offered,” BALPA said.

Four days ago, the BALPA said it could call off proposed strikes set for 9th and 10th September if British Airways agrees to come back to the negotiating table.

The pilots’ union has put forward a new proposal in a letter to BA CEO, Alex Cruz in a bid to come to a deal with the company.

BALPA General-Secretary Brian Strutton said: “Our members’ resolve is very strong and they remain furious with BA, but they also want to leave no stone unturned in trying to find a resolution to their dispute.

“Avoiding strike and agreeing on a deal with their pilots surely must be the desired outcome for British Airways.”