The Unite union requested the airline’s 12,000 cabin crew to decline a new pay deal, due to which British Airways faced the threat of another round of strikes yesterday.

At Eurostar, a new dispute was on the verge of developing, where RMT union insisted that on-board train managers would work to rule on May 10 in a clash over staffing levels.

Tony Woodley, Unite’s joint general secretary urged the crew members to vote against a new pay offer from BA. Seven days of severe disruption during March was caused due to strike action by BA’s cabin crew, which coasted the airline about £45 million.

The new ballot would close on May 7, the day after the general election. This will make the union to avoid discomforting the Government with a big industrial quarrel just before the general election.

BA’s latest pay proposal was rejected for many reasons, according to Mr. Woodley. The free and discounted travel concessions from members of staff that had gone on strike were removed by BA.

Mr. Woodley said, “This plan aims to treat loyal employees and trade unionists as permanent second-class citizens, branded for having supported the union and humiliated for having taken democratically endorsed and fully legal strike action”.