Sir Richard Branson
Details of Virgin strikes to be announced July 1 Reuters

BALPA has been in intense talks with Virgin Atlantic.

Jim McAuslan, General Secretary of the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA), has responded to recent comments by Virgin CEO, Steve Ridgway, that the dispute was "evidence of a model of industrial relations that is antiquated and out of date".

Jim McAuslan said: 'How deeply disappointing that Mr Ridgway has chosen a moment of intense and difficult negotiations to wrongly caricature industrial relations at Virgin Atlantic.

'And how lacking in humility not to face the fact that 97% of his pilots chose to vote for industrial action for the first time in their history which has a whole lot to do with an antiquated and out of date management style at the top of his company.'

Talks between the two sides were set to continue today. A further announcement will be made before close of play on Friday 1 July 2011.

More to follow