British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) said it reached a “breakthrough deal” with easyJet to keep the jobs of 727 pilots in the United Kingdom.
The union indicated that the deal with easyJet included “a huge community effort,” whereupon 60 pilots offered to quit their jobs voluntarily, while 1,500 captains and first officers would work part-time for the airline. Previously, BALPA rejected two proposals from the low-cost carrier, in addition to a “redundancy selection matrix that included sickness,” stated the pilot union.
easyJet pilots that were based in London’s Southend (SEN), Stansted (STN), and Newcastle International Airport (NCL) will be relocated to other bases in the United Kingdom, keeping their jobs.
“This is a remarkable achievement which has only been possible because of three groups of people: the BALPA reps, easyJet management who have worked with us constructively during this process, but most of all the easyJet pilots themselves who have volunteered in record numbers for part-time work and voluntary redundancy to help save their colleagues’ jobs,” stated Brian Strutton, the general secretary of the union.
In July 2020, BALPA reached a very similar agreement with Ryanair, whereupon the two parties agreed to reduce wages and made other concessions to avoid layoffs. The same month, the union also agreed with British Airways to save 1,255 jobs as pilots agreed to wage cuts that would eventually be recouped in the long-term. In addition, BA promised not to fire and rehire its pilots.
