Airport parking customers warned over potential Virgin strikes

Our airport parking team has been keeping an eye on the growing dispute between Virgin Atlantic and BALPA this week. It seems the likelihood of industrial action by Virgin pilots is growing.

With this in mind, we’re urging all airport parking customers flying Virgin this summer to monitor this developing situation - in particular customers who have booked cheap airport parking out of Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow.

Should a strike not be averted, British travellers are likely to see disruption across key routes including Florida, the Caribbean, the Far East and Australia.

Negotiations resumed yesterday in an attempt to stave off industrial action after another set of talks ended on Friday. Members of the British Airline Pilots Association voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action to protest against a pay deal worth 4% after pay freezes in recent years.

“BALPA has withdrawn to consider its position, and talks will resume on Monday morning” the Union said.

A difference of opinion has been more than clear between the Union and Virgin Atlantic as of late, with general secretary Jim McAuslan voicing his criticism of Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive Steve Ridgeway’s view that the dispute was “evidence of a model of industrial relations that is antiquated and out of date”.

Mr McAustlan hit back at the chief executive’s comments last Thursday saying “how deeply disappointing that Mr Ridgeway has chosen a moment of intense and difficult negotiations to wrongly caricature industrial relations at Virgin Atlantic.”

“And how lacking in humility not to face the fact that 97% of his pilots chose to vote industrial action for the first time in their history which has a whole lot to do with an antiquated and out of date management style at the top of his company.”

Company founder and President Sir Richard Branson has warned that any action will leave “an indelible scar on the company, impact customers' trust in us and damage the unique and friendly culture at Virgin Atlantic".  In a letter addressed to Virgin Atlantic pilots, he has expressed he was “extremely sad” about the threat of strikes and has offered to meet with them for private talks.

Commenting on the 4% pay deal, Sir Richard said “I have looked at the details of your offer and I believe it is fair. From the company’s point of view, possibly a little too fair.” From Virgin Atlantic’s stance, the 4% offer is twice the national average and is in addition to a share of company profits, which it describes as “industry leading despite a very challenging economic backdrop”.