The 14 month British Airways cabin crew dispute has finally ended with a peace deal.
Hundreds of Unite union members at London’s Heathrow airport agreed to stop industrial action after being assured that travel perks would be re-instated to all those who walked out.
This issue had been a major stumbling block in the bitter argument since former British Airways boss Willie Walsh said that the generous travel perk would never be re-instated to those who had taken strike action.
Cabin crew will also get a 4% pay rise this year which is linked to productivity and 3.5% in 2012.
The deal is welcome news to British Airways passengers who have had their air travel arrangements disrupted since the strikes began in March 2010.
The dispute was triggered in October 2009 when British Airways announced it was going to axe 1700 cabin crew jobs, change working practises and freeze pay. After the first three day strike in March 2010 the row escalated resulting in 22 days of strikes, High Court actions and, despite ACAS talks, the sides remained poles apart.
Several thousand cabin crew who walked out lost their travel perks and union officials faced the sack and disciplinary action linked to the dispute. British Airways refused to restore the travel perk which allows crew to buy flight tickets for fraction of the normal cost.
The breakthrough came because new bosses were keen to end the dispute which has cost British Airways £150 million.
Willie Walsh, the airline’s tough talking chief executive was replaced by Keith Williams and Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson were replaced by new Unite union leader Len McCluskey.
In the end, it was the case of both sides having to compromise a little and thankfully common sense prevailed. It is thought that the change in leadership at British Airways and the Unite union gave the fresh impetus for the dispute to be resoled amicably.