Virgin Atlantic pilots hold Christmas strike, airline says will protect trips

Virgin Atlantic said Friday it was aiming to ensure its pre-Christmas flights went ahead as scheduled after hundreds of its pilots voted to strike from Dec. 22 until Dec. 25 in a dispute over union recognition. The Professional Pilots Union (PPU) said its members were taking action because Virgin Atlantic was refusing to recognise it and it had been excluded from talks about changes to benefits. “It’s the last straw; Virgin Atlantic have consistently refused to recognize the PPU as a legitimate and independent union, essentially disenfranchising our members,” said the PPU’s Steve Johnson. “Our door is - and has always been - open to Virgin to take the necessary steps to prevent any disruption for Christmas travellers.” The PPU says it represents more than 400 of the airline’s pilots while Virgin Atlantic says about 30% are members. “A small number of our pilots have voted for industrial action,” Virgin Atlantic said. “Our absolute priority is to ensure that all of our customers can continue their journeys as planned this Christmas and we’re working hard to protect all of their trips.” The PPU said it would hold another four-day strikes from Dec. 30 to Jan. 2 and from Jan. 4 to 7.<br/>