British Airways has dismissed a proposal by a pilots union to avoid strike action next week as "unrealistic", leaving it little closer to resolving a dispute over pay with its pilots that could disrupt its services.
Earlier the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) had said that BA pilots could call off proposed strikes set for September 9 and 10 if the airline agreed to come back to the negotiating table.
But British Airways said that the new BALPA proposal would cost an additional £50 million and slammed the union's "new and unrealistic demands". No further talks between the sides are planned at the moment.
"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 eleventh-hour inflated proposal," the airline said in a statement.
Industry Action
Last month, BALPA said that the pilots would go on strike for three days in September in a dispute over pay that could disrupt the peak holiday season.
The pilots overwhelmingly voted for industrial action in July and the airline, which is part of IAG, failed in a court bid to stop them.
BALPA has said that British Airways should share more of its profits with its pilots. The union has also given notice to the airline that it will call on its members to strike on September 27.
"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," BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said. "Avoiding strike action and agreeing to a deal with their pilots surely must be the desired outcome for British Airways."
Unjustifiable
British Airways has said that the strike action is unjustifiable as its pay offer was fair and that the strikes will destroy the travel plans of tens of thousands of customers.
In August, the airline said that it was exploring options to supplement its fleet with aircraft and crew from other airlines, a practice known as wet-leasing, and working with partner airlines to schedule larger aircraft to take more customers.
"BALPA has cynically waited until we have helped the vast majority of customers with alternative travel arrangements, and our planning for a strike has reached a critical stage," British Airways said. "Our customers need the certainty that BALPA will call off the strikes for good, not just for two days next week."
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