UPDATE 1-"Sort this out": UK PM's office urges BA and pilots to avoid strike

British Airways and its pilots should sort out a dispute over pay and avoid strike action scheduled for early next week, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday.

British Airways' pilots are set to strike on Monday and Tuesday, threatening to severely disrupt the airline and the travel plans of its customers who have been forced to rebook trips. Pilots union BALPA has said that British Airways should share more of its profits with its pilots. British Airways has said that the strike action is unjustifiable as its pay offer is fair and that the action will destroy the travel plans of tens of thousands of customers.

"Our view is that nobody should have their travel plans disrupted or their holidays ruined and the unions and BA need to get around the table and sort this out," Johnson's spokeswoman said. "The public would expect nothing less." British Airways said in a statement late on Friday: "We remain ready and willing to return to talks with BALPA."

On Thursday, BA dismissed a proposal by a pilots union to avoid strike action next week as "unrealistic", leaving it a little closer to resolving the dispute. BALPA had said it would call off the strikes this week if BA had engaged with the offer.

Also Read: British Airways pilots to strike for three days in September

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