About 24,000 British Airways workers have secured a 13.1% pay rise in a deal hailed by Unite as a reversal of cuts brought in at the height of the Covid crisis. The increase, which also comes with a £1,000 one-off payment, will be paid over an 18-month period and was overwhelmingly accepted after a ballot of union members. Unite said the deal, which excludes pilots and management, restored staff salaries after BA launched a controversial “fire and rehire” tactic in 2020, when thousands of long-serving crew had to decide whether to accept an enhanced redundancy package or reapply for a similar job at lower pay. BA, along with other airlines and airports, has since increased recruitment as travel has become more popular and possible again after the easing of Covid restrictions. Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary said: “This is a sizeable pay increase, which has been achieved by the hard work and dedication of the union’s reps and officers, hammered out in detailed negotiations. “The fact that Unite has reversed the fire and rehire cuts while also securing a large increase in pay, underlines how the union’s relentless focus on the jobs, pay and conditions of members, is delivering for workers financially.” The deal also includes the potential for a further pay increase if inflation remains high. The UK’s consumer prices index fell to 7.9% in June, after peaking at a 41-year high of 11.1% last year. Unite said it had also negotiated “milestone reviews” and additional increases for specific groups of workers at the company. The announcement came after intended strikes by ground handlers at London Gatwick were cancelled after a first round of industrial action. The second strike was initially planned for 4 to 8 August. Oliver Richardson, Unite’s national coordinating officer, said: “The British Airways deal is the latest evidence of how Unite is securing significant pay increases for workers throughout the aviation sector, and as the sector recovers we are also securing improvements for our members’ terms and conditions.” BA’s owner, International Airlines Group, announced record profits for the first half of 2023 last month, with fares up nearly 10% on last year. Its profits rose to £1.1bn for the first six months of 2023, compared with a £383m loss for the same period a year earlier. British Airways has been contacted for comment.