Christmas strikes: BA brands staff 'heartless'

British Airways has branded its 2,500 members of its staff "calculated" and "heartless" after the workers voted to strike on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

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The cabin crew plan to stage a walk-out across 18 UK airports next week.

According to the Independent, the workers, who are members of the Unite union, are stopping work over "poverty pay and broken promises".

BA released a statement which reads: "We are appalled that Unite proposes to disrupt customers' travel plans on such special days when so many families are trying to gather together or set off on well-deserved holidays.

"This calculated and heartless action is completely unnecessary and we are determined that it will fail."

The Sun reports that the union claims workers' salaries can be as low as £12,000 and some have been forced to sleep in their cars before work due to the level of pay.

Cabin crew reportedly rejected a 2 per cent pay offer.

Meanwhile, more than 1,500 members of Unite employed by Swissport are due to strike just 48 hours before Christmas, affecting airports including Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, Leeds/Bradford, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Stansted.

The check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew plan to walk out on 23 and 24 December.

Talks are reportedly planned to take place in the coming days to avert the strikes.