British Airways staff to receive pay rise

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON (AA) - British Airways staff will receive a 13% pay rise after significant job cuts brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The deal was agreed upon by the airline and the Unite union, which represented up to 16,000 staff members ranging from cabin crew to baggage handlers and engineers.

“By standing strong with Unite, our members have compelled BA to table a pay rise that goes toward compensating for the pay cuts suffered during the pandemic,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

“There is still some way to go for workers at BA to trust this company again, given the hostile manner they conducted themselves during the pandemic. Once again, Unite’s focus on improving jobs, pay and conditions has delivered for our members.”

BA staff members of Unite had threatened to strike if their proposals were not taken into consideration by the airline. However, in July, the union agreed to a deal with BA and averted industrial action.

According to the agreement, the pay rise will be divided into several parts, with workers receiving a lump sum worth 5% of their wages in August, a consolidated 5% pay rise in September and a further 3% consolidated increase in December.

During the pandemic, workers employed in the aviation sector saw massive cuts to their jobs due to the mass grounding of flights brought on by successive lockdowns.