Unite to raise £700,000 to finance BA strike

A £700,000 cash is being requested by trade union Unite to its branches to keep the British Airways (BA) strike going. The amount is equivalent to a two-day allowance pay for all BA employees who walked out.

The strike, which is currently on its fourth day, is costing the union £350,000 a day for compensation pay alone. Union officials said that the money helps a little to cover the daily expense of its 11,000 cabin crew members who are currently on strike. Unite further added that the strikers are now struggling to survive on the £30 per day allowance that the union is giving them.

The extra cash is to be raised by an obligatory levy on the funding of the union’s 3,000 branches all over the UK. An official from Unite however said that the union’s 1.5 million members, who pay £132 per year for subscription, will not be mandated to give money from their own pocket.

Since its founding in 2007, it is only this time that Unite will be raising such huge amount just to support a strike. The joint general secretary of Unite, Tony Woodley, said that Unite’s recent move is unprecedented and it shows the group’s determination to support its members. He added that the union is currently asking BA for a decent settlement, but he warns the airline company that cabin crew will not be driven back to their post with their requests unmet.

Meanwhile, officials played down the idea that Unite’s cash call is an indication that the union is now experiencing shortage of funds. Unite however contradicts, saying that several of its branches are now starting to transfer cheques and give donations.