British Airways cabin crew have voted for industrial action over the airline’s new “unfair” performance scheme.

The 8,800-strong British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association (BASSA), a section of the Unite union, voted 91 percent for industrial action short of a strike, the union said.

Cabin crew say that the new performance management scheme is a needless replacement for the existing, functioning system and have real concerns that its introduction masks a hidden agenda of future job losses.

“The BA management should note the enormous strength of feeling against this policy,” Unite regional officer Matt Smith said in a statement.

“There is a window of opportunity here for BA to allay our members’ fears and change direction”, Smith said.

The union said it would not be announcing dates of any industrial action until discussions take place.