Flights between Bermuda and the UK could face cancellations and major delays after thousands of British Airways staff threatened strike action.

BA management are currently in 11th-hour talks with union officials in a desperate bid to stop 11,000 cabin crew staging a walkout within two weeks.

Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) members are this week voting whether to take industrial action after claiming BA capped pay by limiting promotion opportunities and forced staff to work while unwell under new sickness absence rules.

They have vowed to “give BA a bloody nose” by halting hundreds of short and long-haul flights from Gatwick, Heathrow and Glasgow.

BA is the only airline connecting Bermuda with Europe and if its flights were cancelled passengers would have to make inconvenient diversions via North America.

The result of the secret ballot will be known by Friday this week and staff will be informed on Monday. If it went ahead, the strike would start a week later.

BA officials remain hopeful a deal can be reached and say it would currently be “premature” to speculate about strike action.

One cabin crew member, who contacted The Royal Gazette, said in an e-mail: “On January 15, the entire BA cabin crew community will know the results of a ballot that has been issued regarding strike action against the airline which has the potential to at least severely disrupt operations, at worst destroy it.

“This is no small matter. Knowing how BA is the only carrier direct to Europe from the Island, the implications of a strike can be massive.”

Bermuda Hotel Association CEO John Harvey said action could have a devastating effect on hotels.

Mr. Harvey said people travelling from the UK provided up to 15 percent of the industry’s business and hotels could not afford to lose trade particularly in the quiet winter period.

“It would be catastrophic,” he warned. “Flights coming into Bermuda from the UK have always been very popular.

“If they were cancelled, the people who would traditionally come on British Airways would have to start making arrangements to travel via North America, which would be a real nuisance.

“It would make Bermuda a less attractive option for them. Any interruptions would impact on the business we get from people travelling from the UK at a time we can ill afford.

“Travellers from the UK provide a large proportion of our business and we don’t need to be losing them.

“I’m very hopeful that the management and staff at BA can get together and resolve the issue as soon as possible. It’s up to them to sort it out quickly for everyone’s sake.”

Sallie Singleton, BA’s spokeswoman in Bermuda, said: “The ballot only closes on Friday, January 12. Therefore, it would be premature to speculate at this time.

“It is business as usual and the company will continue to work in resolving outstanding issues.

“British Airways has told the T&G that it wants to keep talking about issues raised by its cabin crew branch.”

BA chief executive Willie Walsh, who is holding the last-ditch talks with T&G general secretary Tony Woodley, said: “The key to unlocking this dispute is negotiation.

“The issues that stand between us can be resolved by mutual good will and hard work.

“We will continue talking with the unions to try to resolve this situation and to avoid any kind of disruption to our customers and staff.”

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.

Referring to the pension agreement, Mr. Walsh said: “This is great news. We have found a shared solution that helps secure the pensions of our members and removes a major blocker to future investment in British Airways.”