BA staff call off strike for good following 13 per cent pay rise
British Airways check-in staff in the Unite and GMB unions have called off planned industrial action after accepting a 13 per cent pay rise.
“No one wanted a summer strike at Heathrow, but our members had to fight for what was right,” said GMB’s national officer Nadine Houghton. “This improved pay deal came because of their efforts.”
Industrial action was initially called on 23 June after the unions demanded to reinstate a 10 per cent wage cut taken by ground staff during the pandemic.
Following weeks of negotiations, Unite and GMB members called off the walkout on 7 July as BA made a “vastly improved pay offer,” which will be paid in several stages.
“By standing together, they have forced a corporate giant like BA to do the right thing and restore levels of pay slashed in the pandemic,” echoed Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham.
Under the proposal, shift pay reductions forced during the pandemic will also be reversed by October 2022.
The news comes on the heels of another strike being called off.
Unite members working as refuellers for Aviation Fuel Services suspended on Wednesday their planned a three-day strike at Heathrow after last-minute negotiations, Morning Wire reported.