The cabin crews of British Airways could strike any moment. The airline strike threat comes from the nearly 12,000 union members of Unite who are concerned about jobs, working conditions and pay. The union had been authorized by its membership to strike over the Christmas holiday; but the strike was judged to be invalid because the vote had included people who were no longer members of the union.

Len McCluskey, the assistant general secretary of the union, could announce the results of a new strike vote any day now.

If the union membership does authorize a strike and the union leadership calls for a strike, the union must give British Airways seven days notice before walking off the job.

There are unconfirmed reports that British Airways has already started to train other staff to take the place of striking union members if the strike goes forward.

The German carrier, Luthansa Cargo, is also under threat of a strike from its pilots union.

All of the major airlines and air carriers are trying to restructure themselves, to cut cost because of the lingering effects of the recent world wide economic recession. For many of the airlines, labor peace is no where in sight.