British Airways

Marathon talks between BA and the T&G had been going on to try to avert the stoppages on Tuesday and Wednesday. BA executives and union leaders said an agreement had been reached on the key issues of pay, pensions and the management of sickness absence. BA will now attempt to reinstate as many flights as possible. Two potential 72-hour strikes earmarked for February have also been called off.

The strike follows an overwhelming 96.1% vote for industrial action (on an 80 per cent turnout) in a ballot of the more than 11,000 cabin crew, the result of which was announced last week.

The company will announce plans by the end of March to cut the cost of its main pension scheme which has a deficit of at least £900m.

The Daily Telegraph reported the move, which follows the dismissal of another employee on the same grounds last month. BA said the pair had been 'found guilty of gross misconduct for playing leading roles in orchestrating unballotted and illegal industrial action,' according to the Telegraph.

The dispute is still continuing, with redundancy offers being attached to a number of conditions. The T&G bureaucracy is likely to broker a deal that will not be in the interests of the workers.

Baggage handlers launched a wildcat strike in solidarity with the catering workers. Releasing its results for the three months to 30 September, BA saw its pre-tax profit fall 18% to £241m.

At the time, baggage handlers walked out for two days in sympathy with sacked workers at the airline's in-flight caterer Gate Gourmet.

British Airways said two of the shop stewards have been suspended on full pay while the third continues to work.

All three are members of the Transport & General Workers' Union (T&G).