Cabin crew volunteers come forward at Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic today said hundreds of cabin crew volunteers had come forward to ensure the airline is able to operate a near-normal service during the planned forthcoming industrial action. Cabin crew volunteers have been emailing and phoning special hotlines to offer their assistance and ensure that Virgin Atlantic runs 9 out of 10 flights during the strike period.

The union, Unite, strongly recommended acceptance of the pay deal, which was put together with senior union officials. However, some cabin crew clearly believed that by taking strike action they would get a better deal which is not the case. The deal was taken off the table after only 31% of the total cabin crew workforce voted for strike action.

Lyell Strambi, Chief Operating Officer, Virgin Atlantic, commented:

“Unite strongly recommended the pay deal because they knew it was the best offer in the industry. Now, there is no offer on the table.

“Virgin Atlantic is committed to resolving this dispute but the only way our cabin crew are going to see any form of pay increase in future is by joining the hundreds of volunteers coming in to work on the planned strike days and ensuring that our customers get to their destinations.

“Richard Branson’s letter sets out very clearly the company’s position by saying there will be no eleventh hour offer. I believe that the union are hearing loud and clear from their members that they will be far worse off unless they come into work.”

For more information, visit Virginatlantic.com.