British Airways is to open fresh negotiations with workers today after union leaders announced a 24-hour August Bank Holiday strike at airports including Gatwick.

Members of the GMB union will walk out for 24 hours on one of August 27, 28, 29 or 30, threatening travel chaos for thousands of passengers.

A union official said BA would be closed down for a day if the strike went ahead.

It would start at 4.30am and finish at the same time the following day.

Airports across the country will be hit by the strike, which is in protest at a rejected pay offer of 8.5 per cent over three years or 10.5 per cent if it does not count towards pensions.

The strike dates were set at a meeting of GMB shop stewards in west London yesterday.

GMB official Ed Blisset said the action would be co-ordinated with the Transport and General Workers' Union, which will announce on Thursday the result of a separate ballot of its members at BA.

Mr Blisset said the unions had a new proposal ready to take to the company.

He called on BA to improve its offer to try to resolve the dispute.

Allan Black, the GMB's national officer, said the union was preparing for war but hoping for peace.

He said a 24-hour strike by check-in and other staff would have disastrous consequences for BA.

He said: "We have no interest in closing down British Airways and inconveniencing the public.

"We are doing everything we possibly can to resolve this dispute."

It is believed the GMB will propose settling this year's pay claim and then moving on to discuss future pay awards as a way of breaking the deadlock.

Mr Black said: "We have decided to deploy what I believe is a reasonable strategy to take the dispute forward.

"I will contact the other unions tomorrow and put to them a proposal that might take the matter forward.

"If the other unions are prepared to adopt this position it will be raised with the company as a way of hopefully resolving the dispute."

Tuesday August 17, 2004