BA flights cancelled by walk-out

British Airways today cancelled domestic and European services going to and from Heathrow Airport Terminal One as unofficial industrial action continued.

British Airways apologised for any inconvenience caused as a result of the walk-outs by staff over changes in working practices.

BA said customers due to fly before 3pm should leave the terminal because the company was unable to re-book those passengers on later flights.

Passengers have been advised to contact the BA helpline number, 0800 727 800 or BA's reservations number, 0870 850 9850.

Earlier BA said there would be no further flight cancellations beyond 10am, believing that staff were now prepared to work normally again.

About 250 check-in staff in Terminal One staged the first spontaneous strike yesterday, saying they were protesting at plans to introduce new working practices.

All UK flights departing from Heathrow Terminal One before 10am today had already been cancelled.

BA also cancelled all European flights leaving from Terminal One before 7.30am and flights from Terminal Four to Paris and Amsterdam before 10am.

A total of 61 outbound flights were cancelled last night, affecting 7,500 passengers, and 28 inbound flights, due to carry 3,000 passengers, were also cancelled.

The workers who walked out, members of the GMB, the Transport and General Workers Union and Amicus, were said to be furious at plans to change working practices.

They walked out in response to plans to introduce Automated Time Recording (ATR), an electronic system which requires employees to swipe in and out at the start and end of their shifts.

Workers believe this could lead to staff being sent home during quiet periods and working longer when it was busy.

BA described the claim as “absolute nonsense” and said it was merely trying to introduce a new system for signing on and off work which was common throughout British industry.

The dispute was also linked to a row over pay after BA offered a rise of 3%.

An airline spokesman said the 3% pay offer was conditional on adopting working practices which he said were common throughout British industry.

“There is a lot of anger over this and the workers who have walked out are not traditionally militant which shows you the strength of feeling,” said one union official yesterday.

Union representatives reported back to a meeting of workers yesterday afternoon after talks with the company.

Staff at Terminal One decided to stage an unofficial strike immediately after hearing details of the talks.

Union officials said check-in workers at Terminal Four also staged an unofficial walkout, although BA could not confirm this.

Union sources said morale at the company was low following thousands of redundancies caused by the downturn in the industry in the wake of the September 11 terrorist outrage.