BA spurns olive branch offer from pilots' union

BA has rejected an olive branch from pilots’ union Balpa to hold talks and call off next week’s strikes, describing the offer as a “cynical” proposal that would cost the airline an additional GBP50m. Most of BA’s 4,300 pilots based at Heathrow and Gatwick are due to go on strike Monday and Tuesday over pay and conditions for the first time in the airline’s history. While BA has not confirmed the number of cancellations, it is expected that only a small number of its more than 800 daily flights will take off. Balpa said it had written to BA’s chief executive, Alex Cruz, on Thursday with a proposal to end the stand-off, which saw its pilots vote overwhelmingly for industrial action after eight months of pay talks. BA had offered an 11.5% deal over three years to pilots. The union said it would call off the strikes on 9 and 10 September if BA would hold meaningful talks. A further strike is scheduled for 27 September, and more dates could follow. General secretary, Brian Strutton, said: “Our members’ resolve is very strong and they remain very angry with BA, but they also want to leave no stone unturned in trying to find a resolution to their dispute.” He said the new offer showed that pilots were “willing to be flexible but still stand united in getting a better deal”. However, BA rejected the proposal as too late and expensive. The airline said: “We remain open to constructive talks with Balpa to resolve the pay negotiations, but we do not believe the union is acting in good faith by making an 11th-hour inflated proposal which would cost an additional £50m. We at BA have acted with integrity through many months of negotiations. We and the union’s leaders agreed and shook on a deal on Monday 12 August only for the union to backtrack on that agreement and return with new and unrealistic demands.”<br/>