A planned strike at the end of September by pilots with British Airways, BA, was on Wednesday called off, the British Airline Pilots’ Association, BALPA, said.
The Balpa said it hoped the airline would now change its approach and negotiate seriously, with a view to ending the dispute.
The strike, which lasted for two days, was labelled one of the biggest in the airline’s history, and the first by its pilots, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of departures and affected 195,000 customers.
According to Balpa General Secretary, Brian Strutton, someone has to take the initiative to sort out the dispute, and with no sign of that from BA, the pilots have decided to take the responsible course.
In July, the pilots declined an offer by BA for an 11.5 per cent pay rise over three years.
Meanwhile, passengers affected by the strike on September 9 and September 10, were offered a refund or a later flight.
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However, the pilots had planned to embark on industrial action by September 27.
“In a genuine attempt at establishing a time out for common sense to prevail, we have lifted the threat of the strike scheduled for September 27,” Strutton said.
British Airways said it flies to over 70 countries and transports more than 40 million customers a year.
dpa/NAN
