**A strike by British Airways cabin crew before Christmas could move a step closer when the result of a ballot for industrial action is announced.**Members of the Unite union are in dispute with the airline over job losses and changes to work practices.
The prospect of action grew after the failure of talks last week between BA - which maintains changes are essential to its survival - and leaders of Unite.
The earliest date the union could order a walk-out is 21 December.
If the cabin crew go on strike it will be the first since three days of action in 1997.
‘Fair package’
The result of the ballot is set to be announced on Monday lunchtime during a meeting at Sandown Park racecourse.
BA posted a loss before tax of £292m ($485m) for the six months to the end of September.
BBC employment correspondent Martin Shankleman said a strike at Christmas would disrupt the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers, as well making the financial state of BA even worse.
But union leaders have vowed to hit airline hard if its members approve a campaign of industrial action, our correspondent said.
The dispute centres on BA’s decision to impose redundancies and reductions in crew numbers after months of negotiations. At one stage the union offered a two-year pay cut, but this was rejected for not going far enough.
Following the talks between Unite and BA’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, and leaders of Unite on Friday, the airline stressed it was open to considering new proposals.
BA has said the changes are “fair and reasonable, given our urgent need to reduce costs so we can move back toward profitability after two years of the worst financial losses in our history”.