The Socialist 18 August 2010

Action now to defeat cuts!

Action now to defeat cuts!

Pakistan: Workers' solidarity urgently needed

Floods in Pakistan bring devastation - poor suffer most

Youth must fight for a future!

Student demo should be start of the fightback

No to advice service cuts

Decent pay for interns

Uni bosses say cuts will cause closures

Forecasts of fragile economic growth

Cameron sticks the boot into our council housing

Private-profit company granted 'snoopers' charter'

Private Finance Initiative: A licence to print money

Coventry Against the Cuts challenge councillors' 'legal obligation'

Northern Ireland: Belfast Stop the Cuts Alliance established

Bromley care workers fight privatisation and job cuts

Defend Our Community Services launched in Bracknell

Cuts devastate mental health services

The legacy of Leon Trotsky

Kirklees Unison strike ballot launched

CWU members accept BT pay deal

Debate how to fight back at Socialism 2010

Tube staff vote for action against cuts

Jobs under threat at Ministry of Justice

Airport workers win improved offer from BAA

Workplace news in brief

Socialist Party summer camp - book now!

Russia's raging wildfires - a crisis of government policies

Bradford must organise against the EDL

Birmingham: Community says 'No' to racist spy cameras

Previous issues, etc

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Airport workers win improved offer from BAA

Proposed strike action by airport workers at BAA has been called off according to Unite the Union. This follows on from what the union called "constructive talks" with BAA at ACAS.

The ballot for strike action was called following a year of pay freezes and then a 1% pay rise and a further 0.5% linked to changes in sickness payments this year.

The changes to sick pay would have seen workers lose £1,000 in a year. Workers were particularly unhappy with the original derisory pay offer after it was announced BAA has improved its financial position this year. A strike ballot returned a healthy majority in favour of action on 12 August.

Industrial action would have seen check-in staff, security personnel, engineers, firefighters and ground staff walking out. Had strike action gone ahead it would have effectively paralysed airports at Heathrow, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Unite announced on Monday 16 August that the company has put a much improved pay offered forward which the Unite negotiating committee will be recommending to their members.

Under the new deal workers will receive a 2% pay rise and a guaranteed lump sum payment of £500. The conditions regarding changes to sickness payments have been withdrawn.

Although this is still a below inflation pay offer, in real terms a paycut, this is still a significant improvement from BAA's original position.

The very fact that BAA was forced to come up with an improved pay offer underlines the point that despite the economic crisis workers can still force concessions from the employers where they are organised in a position of industrial strength and are prepared to take decisive action.