Cabin crews at British Airways (BA) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over "management by imposition", a British trade union said today.
More than 96 per cent of the 8,462 staff who took part in a postal ballot voted in favour of action, with just 330 voting against. The turnout was 80 per cent.
The Transport & General Workers Union said the staff were angry that BA had imposed sickness absence policies, as well as pay grading and onboard staffing and responsibility levels, without adequate consultation.
It said the concerns had built up over the past two years but that the company's senior management had failed properly to address them.
A union spokesman said the T&G would now meet BA managers to demand a new settlement recognising the strength of feeling of its members and the strength of their concerns.
BA said in a statement: 'We are very disappointed by the T&G's threat of what would be completely unnecessary industrial action.
"We have arranged to meet T&G officials this week and we very much hope they will enter into meaningful discussion with us on the issues the union has raised."