BA cabin crew offer to take pay cut
Union leaders representing British Airways cabin crew have offered a 3.4% pay cut under moves to break a deadlocked row which threatens strikes in the coming weeks, it was revealed today.
Sources said that Unite had put forward a package which the union believed would save £60m.
It is also understood that BA will be given a deadline of next Tuesday for accepting the deal or the union will move to name strike dates.
The two sides have been locked in a bitter row over jobs and working conditions for months, and union members have voted twice massively in favour of industrial action.
Talks have been held under the auspices of the TUC, but there has been little sign that a deal was imminent.
The union is believed to have suggested that cabin crew would accept a 3.4% pay cut, followed by a two-year pay freeze, to make savings.
BA has reduced the number of cabin crew on flights under cost-saving measures and chief executive Willie Walsh made it clear this week that the changes would not be reversed.
The union has until March 15 to announce industrial action, and will have to give seven days’ notice of any strikes, although it has ruled out any stoppages over Easter.
The TUC said in a statement: “Extensive talks have been taking place over the last seven weeks under the chairmanship of TUC general secretary Brendan Barber in an attempt to resolve the current dispute between British Airways and Unite cabin crew.
“On the initiative of Brendan Barber, both Unite and British Airways have now committed to the objective of completing these negotiations by close of play on Tuesday 9 March to determine whether or not a mutually acceptable settlement can be achieved.”
