More than 2,000 of the airline’s Mixed Fleet staff working out of Heathrow are due to be balloted after declining the rise in their current wage  – a salary figure trade union Unite branded as “poverty pay”.

According to Unite, average pay including allowances totals £16,000 a year, a figure which BA disputes, saying crew would normally earn at least £21,000 a year with bonuses, from a basic salary of £12,000 a year.

The union also claims that as a result of the low pay, crew have been forced to sleep in their cars between shifts and work multiple jobs, The Guardian reports.

Unite added that a survey of BA cabin crew members found that two in three staff said they had gone to work unfit to fly because they could not afford to miss their shift.

Matt Smith, Unite regional officer said: “British Airways, once the ‘world’s favourite airline’, is fast becoming the ‘world’s least liked’, paying poverty wages. It should be to the company’s eternal shame that they, the UK’s national carrier, are making billions while their cabin crew responsible for maintaining a safe environment are working while sick and without adequate rest.”

A BA spokesperson said: “Our pay proposal for our mixed fleet cabin crew is fair, reasonable and consistent with that already accepted by other British Airways colleagues. It reflects typical pay awards given by other companies in the UK and will ensure their reward levels remain in line with cabin crew at our airline competitors. We remain open and flexible to discuss this further with our colleagues and the union.”