New Delhi, June 7: Labour trouble is brewing in British Airways, which is launching its new company brand image on June 10. Next month the airline could be hit by the worst strike action in its history as well as a worldwide solidarity action called against the airline, says the apex trade union of the civil aviation employees affiliated to the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).

Two separate but almost simultaneous strike ballots are taking place among both cabin crew and ground service employees in BA's core operations at Heathrow and Gatwick, says an ITF news release.

Quoting Stuart Howard, Secretary of the Civil Aviation Section of the ITF, it says, "Unions around the world recognise BA as industry pace setter. They know that whatever conditions BA forces on their employees today, their own airlines will try to do to them tomorrow".

" BA wants a universal, friendly, global brand image while at the same time they want to break up airline work and contract it out on an unprecedented scale. This gets rid of thousands of loyal BA employees and brings massive job insecurity."

ITF has said it will coordinate worldwide support on behalf of its British affiliate, the Transport and General Workers Union which organises both sets of BA staff.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.