The strike threat hanging over BAA's seven UK airports has been lifted, after union representatives endorsed the deal reached with the Ferrovial on Monday over plans to close the pension scheme to new members.

Next Monday's 24-hour stoppage by 5,000 staff had already been cancelled and now the two further strikes planned for this month have now also been called off. Good news for everyone, so hopefully this will be the end of my bolgs on this subject.  However, the Virgin aircrew strike action shows no signs of reaching conciliation.  Well how would you feel receiving threatening letters about your livelyhood from Richard Branson?

On the face of it this strike could easily be resolved. The issues are not insurmountable for either side to find an accommodation. However, it looks very much like BAA has become a very distant and not well engaged employer. This is probably due to the amount of senior UK management that have left or be forced to leave the company in the last nine months.

Right now it would seem that they (BAA that is Ferrovial) are hoping that public opinion will turn against their workers and the union rather than themselves ( a seemingly faceless distant Spanish company). This situation could be very distressing to thousands who have made special plans with their families over the holiday period. But typically again this is the result of ruthless faceless capitalism with the workers as victims and made to be the bad guys. 

Brendan Gold, Unite national officer, said: "BAA has just posted profits of over £500 million and the Spanish owners Ferrovial have seen their profits rise by nearly 60 per cent. It is clear that the pension scheme is financially sound, and should be left alone." Mr Gold said BAA and Ferrovial should understand that the workforce has lost trust in them. Not allowing new employees to join the company's final-salary pension scheme after December 1 was viewed as being the first step in the axing of the whole scheme for everyone.

The strike ballot covers Unite members at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. The union warned that if industrial action does take place, it is "inevitable" that airports affected will be closed. A nameless source at BAA said it regretted the union's threat of industrial action, describing it as "unnecessary". Is that it? Your views on a postcard please.

The Scotsman.com reports that  hogmanay plans could be thrown into chaos for tens of thousands air travellers after several groups of key workers at Scotland's main airports moved to vote on strike action in a row over pensions.  The union, Unite, said 5,000 of its members employed by the British Airports Authority (BAA) will be balloted over the next few weeks on whether or not to launch a campaign of industrial action.

They are protesting at plans to stop new entrants joining the company's final salary pension scheme from 1 December.  The  strike could see the authority's airports - which include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Heathrow and Gatwick - closed from 27 December, leading to chaos during the New Year travel period.

The ballot will take place from 29 November.

National officer Brendan Gold said BAA had posted profits of over £500 million, while its Spanish owner Ferrovial had seen its profits rise by almost 60 per cent.  "It is clear that the pension scheme is financially sound and should be left alone," said Mr Gold. "BAA and Ferrovial should understand that the workers have lost trust in them."  Not allowing new employees to join the final salary pension scheme from 1 December was viewed as the first step in axing the entire scheme for everyone, said Unite.

"It is no wonder the British Airports Authority has a strike ballot on its hands, coming up to one of its busiest times. The timing of this dispute is entirely down to BAA and its Madrid paymasters."  The workers include firefighters, security, maintenance and admin staff at BAA airports.

The ballot result is due just before Christmas, and Unite will have to give seven days' notice of action if there is a 'Yes' vote.   A BAA spokesman said: "BAA regrets the union's threat of industrial action, particularly in the Christmas period. It is unnecessary and it fails to put the interests of passengers first.

"BAA has given clear and unequivocal assurances that existing employees will not be affected by the end of the final salary pension scheme and that its replacement for new employees will be of the highest quality.

"During the past few weeks we have offered to give more detailed assur-ances to union representatives.

"We believe the way to resolve this is through negotiation. We are today renewing our offer to resume face-to-face discussions immediately and call for all those with an interest in maintaining the operations of our airports to do all they can to facilitate such an engagement.

"Using the threat of industrial action, particularly at Christmas, can only create uncertainty for our passengers and their families, and will do nothing to change the underlying reasons that have led BAA to follow the example of most other leading companies in addressing the pension problem in the way we have. BAA believes that now is the time to talk."