BA pilots to consider new pay offer

Fears of a Christmas strike by British Airways pilots receded at the weekend after the airline and the pilots’ union BALPA agreed a new pay deal. The offer is subject to a ballot but BALPA is recommending its members accept it.

According to The Times, the union is believed to have accepted an 11.5% pay rise over three years with the addition of a clause that allows for further rises in line with inflation. BA is also said to have offered concessions on working conditions.

The union said in a statement: “We can confirm that BALPA, BA and ACAS have put together a new pay and conditions proposal and, subject to final checks, BALPA expects it will shortly be consulting its 4,000 BA members on them.”

BA said: “We welcome this positive step.” The airline was forced to ground more than 2,300 flights, almost its entire schedule, when pilots staged a two-day walkout in September (BTN 9 September).

BA’s parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) said later the action, plus a threatened strike by Heathrow staff which was later called off but still led to flight cancellations, had cost it £134m.

www.britishairways.com

www.balpa.org

acas.org.uk

Index/Home page
 

OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum