The GMB union on Friday (22 July) confirmed three-quarters of affected BA workers at Heathrow – predominantly lower paid women – had backed a revised pay deal.
The Unite union, meanwhile, said its BA check-in staff members at Heathrow, who number more than 500, had voted in favour of the new offer.
The action, which was set to disrupt the summer peak, stemmed from a dispute over a 10% pandemic pay cut, which both the GMB and Unite said had not reinstated.
The GMB said workers will now receive an 8% consolidated pay rise, a one-off bonus, and have shift pay reinstated. United added the offer, which will be paid in several stages, was worth about 13% to workers.
Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said that while "no one wanted a summer strike" at Heathrow, the union’s members "had to fight for what was right".
"This improved pay deal came because of their efforts," she said. "Now these mainly women workers have won pay improvements for themselves – as well as forcing BA to make this offer to the rest of their staff too.
"Our members stood up for themselves and fought for what they were owed. These are frontline workers facing harassment and abuse from customers daily. The least they deserved is fair pay."
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham added: “This is a great result for our check-in members at British Airways. By standing together, they have forced a corporate giant like BA to do the right thing and restore levels of pay slashed in the pandemic."
A BA spokesperson said: "We are delighted with this positive news."
