BA unions reject pay proposal, plan next move

Employee unions at BA urged members to reject the airline’s latest pay proposal and said they will begin preparing for a potential industrial action. The biggest airline of International Consolidated Airlines Group has been facing a coordinated campaign for bigger salary increases from pilots, cabin crew and ground staff since November. The effort is challenging BA CEO Alex Cruz’s plan to beat down costs so the carrier can fend off competition from discounters including EasyJet in Europe and Norwegian Air Shuttle. “Each union is increasingly concerned at BA’s unrealistic and inflexible approach to these negotiations and the company’s refusal to share with its own loyal staff the rewards of the success they have helped bring to the airline,” the letter said. BA is continuing discussions with the unions, said Liza Ravenscroft, a spokeswoman. “Our pay proposal is fair, reasonable and reflects typical pay awards given by other companies in the UK,” she said. The company presented a revised proposal this week after its previous overture was rejected. The latest one-year offer included a 2.7% increase to basic pay as of January 1, 2019, subject to a GBP600 underpin plus a one-off payment equivalent to 0.5% of basic pay, or an alternative two-year offer with lower increases to basic pay. The British Airline Pilots Association, Unite and GMB unions sent a letter to members Friday “strongly” recommending rejection of both proposals. <br/>