Afternoon:
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BA to axe thousands more staff in bid to save £300m
Dick Murray8 Jun 2009
British Airways is to meet union bosses this week to discuss moves to axe thousands more staff.
The UK's largest carrier is planning to trim up to £300million from the wages bill over the next two years.
BA is desperate to avoid any suggestion of strikes or industrial action during the peak summer holiday season and is offering staff a range of options including voluntary redundancies, part-time working or lengthy unpaid leave.
But it is facing a backlash from staff opposed to the cost-cutting proposals.
The company wants to cut 2,000 members of its 14,000 cabin crew with a further 1,000 jobs going from administrative roles.
An internal letter to staff from Willie Walsh, BA chief executive, warns: "We are very clear that we are now in a fight for survival and time is running out."
Customer service and ground staff employees at Heathrow are meeting today to discuss pay and job cuts.
A union official said: "BA has told us that anyone who is rostered for work must turn up or they will be suspended and could even be sacked."
BA has announced a record annual loss of £401million and flew 17.2 per cent fewer passengers last month. During the past year the company has already trimmed 2,500 jobs.
A spokesman confirmed the company would hold a series of meetings with union bosses this week.
He said there would be no disruption to flights today as a result of the staff meeting. Only those staff not rostered for duty would be attending, he added.
The spokesman said there was "no target" for the total number of jobs to go.
"We are offering voluntary redundancy to cabin crew and there is a similar offer to administrative staff," he said.
"We are also looking at temporary working and unpaid leave."
A union source close to the talks said the airline could probably achieve the job losses without having to enforce compulsory redundancies.
He said: "Morale is at rock bottom in many departments and there are a large number of people who want to go - provided the terms are right, of course."
