BA staff accept pay freeze in return for job security

British Airways ground staff have accepted a two-year pay freeze in return for job protection under a "ground-breaking" deal, the airline announced yesterday. The 2,800 workers, including baggage handlers and passenger bus crews, voted overwhelmingly in favour of a proposal to bring costs into line with competitors. As well as the pay freeze, wages for new recruits will be lower and efficiencies will be achieved in return for a commitment from BA to protect jobs into the next century.

The deal follows four months of talks to find pounds 20m-worth of savings as part of BA's drive to make pounds 1bn-worth of efficiency savings by the turn of the century.