British Airways staff strike from X-mas Day

LONDON: Cargo workers at British Airways will strike from Friday until January 2 over a pay row, with a new coronavirus strain already delaying goods arriving in the UK.

Around 850 workers will strike, affecting transportation of fresh food and other items flown by IAG Cargo, a spokesman for the Unite union said on Thursday. IAG is the parent group of BA. Unite said BA cargo staff, mainly based at London’s Heathrow airport, faced cuts to pay of up to 25 percent, or thousands of pounds per worker. "The nine-day strike will cause severe disruption to the company’s ability to bring goods into the UK," a Unite statement said.

"The strike will potentially cause further disruption to the airline as importers have been seeking alternative ways to bring goods into the UK, in an attempt to avoid the chaos and disruption currently occurring at the country’s ports," it added. BA disputed Unite’s claims on pay and urged the union to help resolve the situation through more talks.