News

BA and Unite agree deal

12 May 2011 by BusinessTraveller

The Unite union says it has reached an agreement with British Airways aimed at ending the long-running cabin crew dispute.

The union says the agreement will now be put to a ballot of members over the next month, with a recommendation for acceptance. No further industrial action will be called in the meantime.

Announcing the agreement, General secretary Len McCluskey said that “We always said that this dispute could only be settled by negotiation, not by confrontation or litigation. And so it has proved." 

“We are delighted to have reached an agreement which I believe recognises the rights and dignity of cabin crew as well as the commercial requirements of the company. This agreement will allow us to go forward in partnership together to strengthen this great British company - good news for BA, its employees and its customers alike.

“I am particularly pleased that staff travel concessions will be restored in full with the signing of the agreement and the implementation of the new structure for working together that we have negotiated. A customer-oriented business can only succeed with all its employees valued and respected.

“And above all I would like to pay tribute to Unite’s BA cabin crew members. Their resilience, discipline and determination to be treated properly has been an inspiration to all who have worked alongside them in this dispute and has been a model of twenty-first century trade unionism. They deserve this agreement and the prosperous future at British Airways I hope it secures.”

BA has also released the following statement:

"On behalf of our customers, we are very pleased the threat of industrial action has been lifted and that we have reached a point where we can put this dispute behind us.

"Our agreement with Unite involves acknowledgement by the union that the cost-saving structural changes we have made in cabin crew operations are permanent.

"We have also agreed changes that will modernise our crew industrial relations and help ensure that this kind of dispute cannot occur again.

"British Airways cabin crew are rightly renowned for their professionalism and skills. Our airline has a great future, and everyone within it intends to move forward together."

Visit ba.com, unitetheunion.org.

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