Point blank pay refusal

After posting record profits, Japan Airlines has unequivocally refused to grant cabin crew on its highly lucrative Heathrow route a fair pay rise, provoking Unite members into serving notice of their intention to ballot for strike action today (January 9).

 
Unite’s proposals to resolve the dispute, which cost a mere £2,000 more than the airline has currently agreed to offer, were rejected in favour of imposing a freeze in basic pay for long serving cabin crew.

 
Cabin crew members at the top of the pay scale will currently receive no pay rise beyond the £96 a year increase in London weighting. The lowest paid crew, on a basic wage of only £9,000 a year, will receive a paltry £285 annual pay rise. The airline’s offer was rejected by 82 per cent of cabin crew.

 
Unite regional officer Simon McCartney argued that the Japan Airlines’ stubborn refusal to grant cabin crew members, who are already on very low wages, a decent pay rise makes little sense in light of the company’s financial success.

 
“Japan Airlines posted profits of just over £1 billion last year and is on track for another successful year, so it can well afford the sum it will take to settle this dispute,” McCartney said.

 
“Instead, management at its Heathrow hub seem hell-bent on provoking strike action,” he added. “The imposition of this pay deal on cabin crew who helped turn the airline’s fortunes around is an insult and it is highly likely that they will back strike action.

 
“Japan Airline management need to see sense and get back around the negotiating table.”

 
The ballot closes on February 6.

 
Stay tuned on UniteLIVE for the latest on the dispute.