BA bid to halt airports strike

British Airways today made a dramatic last-ditch bid to avert bank holiday air strikes by offering staff a £1,000 "bribe".

Staff will earn an extra £1,000 if they are absent from work for no more than 16 days in a two-year period.

But many union activists are against the move, demanding that only an increase in the annual pay award will see the planned 24-hour stoppage called off.

The money would be paid to thousands of ground staff, including check-in workers and baggage handlers.

It would be in addition to the offer of an 8.5 per cent pay increase over three years, with the first 2.5 per cent back-dated 10 months.

BA employees have an annual average of 17 days' absence. The national average is seven days per employee a year.

Mike Street, BA director of customer service and operations, said today: "The unions have been asking us for 14.5 per cent over three years. This offer meets that claim."

The BA offer comes 24 hours after the GMB, representing 3,000 check-in staff, announced it is to stage a 24-hour strike "some time" over the four-day holiday period.

GMB members voted by 53 per cent in favour of industrial action in the longrunning dispute over pay and conditions.

The £1,000 offer was tabled during a meeting at Heathrow today between BA and leaders of three unions.

BA asked the unions to hold fresh ballots of staff in view of the new offer.

Mr Street added: "The unions asked us to consider an incentive scheme to help tackle our absence issue and we believe this is an innovative way to reward staff with reasonable attendance records.

"We remain hopeful of finding a resolution."