overwhelmingly yesterday to take industrial action in protest over pay rises.

Pilots voted 2,687 to 292 in favour of a walkout -- although the British Airline Pilots Association will give BA a few days to sweeten the pay package before it authorises industrial action.

Last night Philip Troake, BA's Bermuda general manager, said passengers should not be alarmed now -seven days notice must be given before strike action can begin.

He added: "The union has not announced that it will be taking industrial action and if it does it has to give seven days notice of any action.

"There are contingency plans to minimise any disruption if the union does go for industrial action and we will keep our customers informed.'' If the pilots strike it will be their first industrial action since 1978 and is in protest over the airline's pay package offer.

Union officials say pilots are shouldering too much of BA's plan to cut $1.52 billion of costs over the next three years - although BA claims it's willing to negotiate the issue with pilots.

The union, which represents the majority of BA's 3,500 pilots, is also disappointed with BA's offer of a 1997 pay increase of half a percent above the rate of inflation.

It is also upset about crew rest areas on the Boeing 747 jet, some details of the pension program and rules for pilots flying out of Gatwick airport - which serves Bermuda.

The union also said BA plans to cut "duty overrun'' payments, for example, beginning on April 1, 1997. The payments amount to between 800,000 and 1 million per year.

By law, a strike would have to occur within 28 days from yesterday, though the union said it could continue as long as it wished.

It is estimated that if a strike takes place the airline could lose about $62 million a day.

"We're saying come and talk to us,'' said Dave Snelling, a BA spokesman said earlier today. "This can be resolved through discussion.'' The strike vote comes three weeks after BA, the world's most profitable airline, announced plans to form an alliance with American Airlines Inc. The plan prompted the European Union to open an antitrust investigation into transatlantic air ventures.

UNIONS UNS