Heathrow strike suspended after BA offers improved pay deal

A strike action by 700 British Airways check-in staff at Heathrow has been suspended after the airline made a "vastly improved" pay offer, unions said on Thursday.

The Unite union said an agreement was reached after "extensive" talks. Its members along with those from the GMB will now be balloted on the new pay deal.

"We welcome that BA has finally listened to the voice of its check-in staff," said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, while Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, added: "All our members were asking for was what they were owed. British Airways finally moving on pay is long overdue.

"All our members - who are predominantly low-paid women - wanted was to be given back the pay cuts BA imposed on them during the pandemic, threatening them with fire and rehire if they said no."

Last month, workers, mainly check-in staff, voted to strike over pay, with unions citing the 10% pay cut imposed during the peak of the pandemic not being reinstated. The airline had originally offered a 10% temporary bonus for staff instead.

BA, which operates from terminals three and five at Heathrow and is owned by IAG, had put in place contingency plans to cover staff, including managers potentially dealing with check-ins.