Crunch talks are today to take place at British Airways after staff voted overwhelmingly to strike.

Management are desperately hoping to stave off a walkout involving thousands of cabin crew which could lead to cancellations and major delays on flights between Bermuda and the UK.

Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) officials yesterday revealed members had backed a strike by 96 percent in a ballot over the past few weeks.

Staff claim managers have capped pay by limiting promotion opportunities and forced them to work while unwell under new sickness absence rules.

They have vowed to halt hundreds of short and long-haul flights from Gatwick, Heathrow and Glasgow ? meaning passengers to and from Bermuda would have to make inconvenient diversions via North America.

Business leaders fear such a move would throw the Island?s vital connection with Europe into temporary disarray and have repeated calls for BA?s staff and bosses to settle their differences.

BA officials insist they remain hopeful a strike can be averted.

Speaking at a meeting of the cabin crew, Jack Dromey, T&G deputy general secretary, said: ?BA cabin crew have voted to say the airline has gone too far. BA must rebuild the trust of its cabin crew by negotiating rather than imposing change and by listening to its staff rather than riding roughshod over their concerns.

?We will now meet with the BA managers and say we believe a new settlement is needed which recognises the strength of feeling of our members but also the strength of their concerns.

?This vote is nearly unanimous ? the clarity of its message leaves no room for doubt.

?That is the best basis for reaching a good negotiated settlement in our discussions tomorrow with BA.?

Sallie Singleton, BA?s spokeswoman in Bermuda, said it was ?business as usual? for the airline while talks were ongoing.

?We are aware of the results of the ballot,? she said.

?The airline?s managers and the union are now due to hold talks.

?We remain hopeful that the situation can be resolved and we can avoid any possible walkouts.

?The main concern is that we can continue to provide our usual service for our customers.?

BA management has said it had not been trying to bring new ways of working by imposition, but by negotiation.

Chamber of Commerce chairman Peter Everson said yesterday: ?The BA line is a vital link between Bermuda and Europe. It?s the only direct link we have ? everything else has to go through North America.

?While the number of flights to North America dwarfs those to London, it would be a major inconvenience for local business people to have to reorganise their trips via the US or Canada.

?We would hope that the management of BA and representatives of the union can meet and resolve their differences.

?Unless you are at the negotiations table, it?s hard to know what chance there is of the talks working out. All we can really do is cross our fingers and hope an agreement can be reached.?

The union would have to give at least seven days notice before a strike could begin.

The dispute comes after threats of wider industrial action over plans to reduce BA?s $4 billion pension deficit, which entailed later retirement for the airline?s 45,000 employees.

However, that part of the row appears to have been resolved after BA Forum ? which represents the airline?s four unions ? recommended acceptance of suggested changes to the scheme.

BA agreed to make a one-off contribution of $1.5 billion into the fund subject to acceptance of benefit changes.