Millions of airline passengers could face severe disruption at the UK’s largest airports during the August bank holiday weekend after Unite announced a strike ballot at BAA.  More than 6,000 workers, including firemen, security guards and engineers, are to vote on whether to strike over a pay dispute. The ballot closes on August 12, and could lead to a walk-out on the August Bank Holiday weekend, one of the busiest periods in the travel calendar.

BAA, owner of Heathrow, Stansted, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, is now embroiled in a pay dispute with Britain’s largest trade union. Unite, which represents nearly two-thirds of BAA’s workforce, is confident of industrial action after a 1% pay increase was rejected in a consultative ballot by nine out of 10 members, paving the way for a formal ballot. BAA is the UK’s largest airport owner and its terminals handle more than 300,000 passengers per day. And Unite just saw it wings clipped over ongoing action at BA. This is not great news for British air travelers. BA had better options than BAA.

“We have recently seen the disruption industrial action can cause at our airports, and another strike now is the last thing passengers need. I strongly urge both sides to find a resolution to this dispute so that passengers can enjoy their summer holidays free from the stress and concern that a major strike would bring,” Philip Hammond, UK Transport Secretary.  Fat chance, Unite needs a fight that it can win.

In other news:

• BA lists 30 co-defendants in price fixing
• Germany revises travel tax
• Sea-Tac Greener Skies project
• Spirit pilots accept deal

Subscribe to over 5,300 (and growing) analysis and
opinion posts behind the headlines at Blackprogram