Air passengers are facing possible travel chaos at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports as British Airway's check-in staff voted Friday to strike in a row over pay.

The GMB union said 53 percent of its about 3,000 members at the airline backed industrial action. Turnout was 48 percent.

It said they had no wish to disrupt the plans of holiday-makers and other travelers at the height of the tourist season but talks had dragged on for months.

Two other unions, the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) and Amicus, are also involved in the pay row.

More than 8,000 TGWU members employed by British Airways, including 4,500 baggage handlers at London's Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh airports, will vote to decide whether to stage a strike next week.

The unions have rejected a pay offer of between 8.5 percent and10.5 percent over three years. British Airways says it cannot afford the unions' demands, which it says amount to 14.5 percent.

The walkout is likely to begin at the Bank Holiday week-end.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2004)