Thaindian News

London, March 27 (DPA) A new walkout by British Airways cabin crews forced the cancellation of 93 flights at Heathrow Airport Saturday, according to the BBC.
The new walkout, set to last four days, follows a three-day strike by cabin crews which ended March 22.

BA pledged that it would seek to limit the effects of the new walkout and be able to serve 180,000 of the 240,000 passengers who had booked flights for the planned four days of the new strike, thanks to an emergency plan set up after the first labour action.

Student Anna Bohrs, 19, said her flight home to Hamburg had been cancelled. “It’s pretty annoying,” she told the Press Association. “I was a bit scared I wouldn’t be able to get a seat on another plane but it was OK.”

Anthony Fletcher, 72, who was travelling to visit family in the US, said he and his wife had found BA “very helpful”.

“As far as we know there are no problems at all,” he added.

The cabin crews action comes in protest at the financially stricken airline’s cost-cutting plans.

One cabin crew member who attended a gathering at a football ground underneath one of Heathrow’s flight paths talked of an “atmosphere of fear” at BA.

“I’ve been with the company for 21 years and they’ve never imposed on us,” he said. “They’ve always sought an agreement, until now that is.”

“The people here make up middle England,” he added. “We’re young women, mums and gay guys in the majority. We’re not militants, this is one of the most conservative groups of people you can find.”

“This is the last resort, nobody wants to take part in industrial action,” said another cabin crew member. “It doesn’t come naturally to customer-focused individuals to cause disruption or pain to our customers or the general public.”

Staff were prepared to make sacrifices but not if it meant turning against one another, he added.

The union Unite has warned of further strikes after Easter.