British Airways engineers are to be balloted on whether to accept a pay rise linked to the introduction of the controversial swipe card system.

Amicus said if its 4,000 members rejected the deal in the consultative ballot, they were likely to vote on whether to strike.

Details of the offer were not being released ahead of the voting, which starts next week and will run until mid-September.

Check-in staff at Heathrow staged an unofficial strike last month over the new swipe card system which caused travel chaos at the airport.

A deal to allow the swipe cards to be used from next month was later agreed between union leaders and the airline.

Friday August 15, 2003