British Airways (BA/BAW) is to reward staff with a 13% pay increase following negotiations with the Unite Union which represents a large proportion of British Airways staff, particularly ground staff.
The deal will also see staff get a £1000 one-off goodwill payment and ends the threat of strikes over the summer by Unite members.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said that after detailed negotiations, they had achieved a “sizable pay increase” for its staff to help ease the effects of inflation, which currently sits at just under 8%.
The offer also negates the pay cuts imposed on staff in 2020 at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic under the airline’s fire and rehire policy.
Unite national co-ordinating officer Oliver Richardson added: “The British Airways deal is the latest evidence of how Unite is securing significant pay increases for workers throughout the aviation sector, and as the sector recovers, we are also securing improvements for our members’ terms and conditions.”
Like many airlines, British Airways has seen faster-than-expected growth following the pandemic and demand for air travel is increasing to near 2019 levels.
International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns British Airways, recently reported record profits of £1.1bn for the first half of 2023.