British Airways pilots cancel planned September 27 strike in dispute over pay
- British Airline Pilots Association called for reflection and further negotiations
- Said that strikes on September 9 and 10 have already shown their resolve
- Issued a statement calling for ‘cool heads and pragmatism’ this afternoon
A strike planned by British Airways pilots on September 27 in a dispute over pay has been called off.
The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) called off industrial action this afternoon, saying strikes on September 9 and 10 had shown their anger and resolve.
In a statement the union said reflection is needed before the dispute escalates and irreparable damage is done to BA.
The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) called off industrial action this afternoon, saying strikes on September 9 and 10 had shown their anger and resolve (file photo)
General Secretary Brian Strutton said he hopes the airline will now negotiate seriously, with a view to ending the dispute.
‘Someone has to take the initiative to sort out this dispute and with no sign of that from BA the pilots have decided to take the responsible course,’ he said.
‘In a genuine attempt at establishing a time out for common sense to prevail, we have lifted the threat of the strike on the 27th September.
‘BA passengers rightly expect BA and its pilots to resolve their issues without disruption and now is the time for cool heads and pragmatism to be brought to bear. I hope BA and its owner IAG show as much responsibility as the pilots.’
British Airways had to cancel nearly 100 per cent of its flights at London Heathrow due to a 48-hour strike action, leaving terminals (like Heathrow Terminal 5, pictured) deserted
The union added that it retains the right to announce more strikes if BA refuses meaningful new negotiations.
Just six days ago the airline began cancelling hundreds of flights ahead of the scheduled strike.
It comes just days after nearly 195,000 passengers had their travel plans plunged into chaos. Tens of thousands of passengers were expected to be affected by the disruption in a row over pay and conditions.
British Airways (BA) has offered a pay rise of 11.5 per cent to pilots over three years, which it says would boost the pay of some captains to £200,000, but Balpa says its members want a bigger share of the company’s profits.
The airline began contacting affected passengers on Thursday afternoon, 15 days ahead of the strike.
Under EU law, passengers are only entitled to compensation if they receive less than 14 days’ notice of a cancellation.
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