BA strike date decision
Updated on 25 February 2010
Millions of British Airways passengers are waiting to hear when cabin crew plan to go on strike - with an announcement due from Kempton Park racecourse this morning.
Thousands of union members are meeting at Kempton Racecourse in Surrey to show their support, in their long running dispute over pay.
More than 12,000 cabin crew were first balloted last year, voting for industrial action by 9:1. But BA declared there were "irregularities" with the vote - and the high court declared the strike could not go ahead.
Unite reballoted its members last month: on Monday it revealed members had once again endorsed strike action by a large margin.
The dispute began last autumn after BA revealed plans to freeze pay and cut around 1700 cabin crew jobs - reducing staff on jumbo jets from 15 to 14.
The union now has four weeks to hold a strike and must give seven days' notice. Travel could be severely disrupted if industrial action takes place - and experts say it could cost BA around £25m a day.
Anyone booking with the airline from now on will be warned their insurance will not cover them if their journeys are hit by the dispute - although British Airways has promised to refund or rebook any affected flights.
And in another headache for the company, it faces a legal challenge over holiday pay by the pilots' union.
BALPA is going to the Supreme Court in an attempt to get holiday pay based on what pilots earn, rather than basic earnings without allowances.
If it wins win, it could mean thousands of pilots and cabin crew could get a pay increase of up to £600 each.
