BA cargo worker dispute ends after agreement is reached

British Airways’ (BA) cargo handlers in the UK have reached an agreement with the airline following a dispute about planned changes to terms and conditions.

The cargo handlers had carried out nine days of strikes over the Christmas period and were set to launch further industrial action last week.

However, this was avoided when the union Unite and airline bosses came to an agreement.

The union said that the agreement will see workers will revert to previous contractual provisions subject to agreed changes; no compulsory redundancies; improved pay protection for staff whose pay sits above the new agreed rates; an increase in pay for a significant proportion of staff; embers who did not sign the new contract and were dismissed will be offered their jobs back on the agreed terms.

Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: “This is a tremendous result and finally ends the threat of workers in BA Cargo being fired and rehired at British Airways.

“Huge credit must go to our members in BA Cargo, who firstly overwhelmingly voted for strike action and then delivered on that commitment by undertaking nine days of solid strike action, in the teeth of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Without our members’ commitment and sacrifice there is no doubt it would have been impossible to get BA to reverse its fire and rehire plans.

“Unite recognises the personal involvement of Sean Doyle, the new chief executive of BA, as significant in achieving a negotiated settlement that our reps now feel able to recommend to our members.”