BA cabin crew strike is called off

A planned strike by thousands of British Airways cabin crew has been called off following a deal to end a bitter dispute over sickness absence, pay and staffing.

More than 120 hours of negotiations between the airline and the Transport and General Workers Union led to an agreement. A planned 48-hour walkout by thousands of stewards and stewardesses from Tuesday will not now go ahead.

Willie Walsh, the airline's chief executive, said: "We are pleased that our negotiations with the T&G have resulted in an agreement that removes the threat of strikes."

He continued: "We have always said that our cabin crew do an excellent job and we believe this agreement lays a firm foundation to enable us to provide even higher standards of onboard service for customers in the future."

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