Airport strikes averted as BAA agrees new pay deal

The threat of strikes at six of the UK’s main airports is over for now, after airport operator BAA and Unite union agreed a new pay deal yesterday.

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by Victoria Bischoff on Aug 17, 2010 at 08:47

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Thousands of holidaymakers breathed a sigh of relief yesterday after airport operator BAA and Unite union agreed a new pay deal and called off the proposed strikes at six of the UK’s main airports.

A spokesperson for BAA said: ‘We are pleased that the basis of an agreement has been reached on pay, that is fair to staff but which also reflects the difficult economic climate’.

The details of the new pay deal are not yet known, but a spokesperson from the conciliation service Acas said the details should be available after 1pm today.

Peter Harwood, chief conciliator at Acas, said: ‘Acas has been shuttling between the parties and the process has been a challenging one, but we are pleased to report that a basis for settlement has been agreed’.

‘The unions will now be balloting their members on the proposed settlement with a recommendation that members vote to accept it,’ he added.

Fire-fighters, engineers, security and support staff at Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh voted in favour of strike action last week in a dispute over pay.

Unite union said BAA’s previous pay offer worth up to a maximum of 1.5% fell far short of employee expectations after BAA employees had accepted a pay freeze to help the company last year.

Unite is also currently locked in a dispute with British Airways that has already resulted in 22 days of strikes this year and cost the airline over £150 million.

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4 comments so far. Why not have your say?

Please get rid of that horrible photo of Putin in the header or I won't read your articles

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The union probably settled because although they got a better deal, they were on a sticky wicket.

Now more savings and efficiencies are going to be required to pay for the deal.

We still have BA to resolve, and then of course there is going to be the civil service cuts and the strikes to come on that. The Unions intent is to cause the maximum damage for minimum outlay, so that the big boys, the secretaries can be seen to be doing something, even if it is mayhem.

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#snoekie

Wrong.

BAA settled because they knew they were wrong in the first place, Just another big business try on.

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snoekie

Aug 17, 2010 at 20:20

Excuse me, with a less than 50% response to the ballot, they were definitely on a sticky wicket.

True BAA had room for manoeuvre, but Unite are definitely strike happy at the moment, BA as an e.g.

Later this year it will be the government is targeted, particularly if the 'bribe' of Zanuliebore is withdrawn, the so called education fund for which no accounting was required, and which they undoubtedly used to fund Zanuliebore election.

What was Whelan, a union official, doing ensconced in Downing Street for part of the campaign??

Open boast that Balls had enormous help from Unite, which gave him a majority of a few hundred.

And then there was Mr Harridan, getting a free run in a henhouse reserved seat, but I haven't heard that he is a candidate for a sex change operation, but he got it because his wife was/is a big cheese (actually cheesy) in Zanuliebore.

Rules, but then ignored when they choose, but clearly sexist and contrary to law (discrimination), like the fraudulently applied for expenses, not expenses, but money laundering, the proceeds of crime and only a very select few selected for prosecution, but not Brown, 2 kitchens, Smiff, too many items to list, Malik, feathering main home (since 2001 or thereabouts, but opted as his second home, nice chairs, dvd system, and massive TV, inter alia. Darling fraudulent elections to maximise benefit, Bliar, who knows what-he destroyed his receipts (by mistake he said- yeah, like the wars), etc, ad nauseum. NSY ordered to apply Nelsonian eye.

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