The prospect of summer chaos at Heathrow Airport has been reduced after British Airways workers voted to accept a new pay offer and call off strike action.
Around 700 workers, members of the Unite and GMB unions, had voted for industrial action after a 10 per cent pay cut imposed on them during the coronavirus pandemic was not reinstated.
But, thousands of union members have yet to vote for the strike call-off after the agreement was accepted.
The offer includes an 8 per cent consolidated pay increase, one-off bonus, and reinstatement of shift payment. GMB employees voted for the offer at 75%.
After refuelling staff had suspended planned industrial action over a dispute regarding pay, it happened at the eleventh hour of Wednesday night.
Heathrow’s three airport terminals are jammed with families taking off this week for summer holiday.
Heathrow has suffered months of chaos, prompting officials to introduce a cap of 100,000 daily departing passengers until September 11.
The company also asked carriers to discontinue selling summer tickets to try to minimize disruption.
Reports say that the threat of heathrow airport chaos in summer was reduced by British Airways workers voting to accept a new wage offer and call for strike action.
Nadine Haoughton (GMB National Officer) said that while no one wants a strike at Heathrow this summer, our members must fight for the right thing.
“This better pay agreement was possible because of the efforts of these people.
‘Now these mainly women workers have won pay improvements for themselves – as well as forcing BA to make this offer to the rest of their staff too.
“Our soldiers stood up for their rights and fought to get what was due them.
“These workers are the frontline employees who face harassment and abuse daily from customers.
“The least they deserved was fair pay.”
Three terminals were jammed with families who flew to Heathrow last week for summer holiday. Above: Heathrow terminal 2 queues
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said that this was a fantastic result for British Airways check-in members.
“By coming together they forced BA, a giant corporate corporation to stand up and do right by the victims of the pandemic.
“This is another example of Unite’s unwavering focus on achieving better conditions, wages and jobs for its members.
BA offers a reverse of 2020’s shift reductions.