Pay talks plea

Unite has urged Japan Airlines today (Monday December 22), to get back around the negotiating table to avoid an industrial action ballot – as cabin crew working out of its Heathrow base overwhelmingly rejected the airline’s latest pay offer.

Cabin crew voted by 82.5 per cent to reject the offer, which sees long serving crew at the top of the pay scale getting no pay rise, other than a ÂŁ96 a year increase in London weighting.

“Loyal cabin crew feel totally undervalued and insulted by this pay offer, which fails to recognise their hard work on some of the airline’s most profitable routes,” said Unite regional officer Simon McCartney.

The lowest paid crew, on a basic wage of ÂŁ9,000 a year, will only see their basic pay increase by ÂŁ285 a year.

The rejection of the pay offer prompted warnings from Unite that the airline had misjudged the mood of loyal cabin crew at Heathrow and failed to recognise their important role in turning the airline’s fortunes around.

Japan Airlines posted profits of just over ÂŁ1bn last year and is on track for another successful year.

“Japan Airlines has totally misjudged the mood of cabin crew operating out of Heathrow and failed to recognise their role in securing profits of £1bn.

“Feelings are running high and the airline needs to get back around the negotiating table or face the real possibility of a vote in favour of industrial action,” added Simon.

Unite represents cabin crew operating on routes out of Heathrow to destinations in Japan, including Tokyo.