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| Virgin cabin crew ditch strikes | Virgin cabin crew ditch strikes |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Virgin Atlantic cabin crew have called off planned strikes after a deal was agreed with management on pay, the airline and union said. | |
| Staff had planned two 48-hour walkouts, one from Wednesday and a second from 16 January after rejecting an initial wage deal. | |
| Sir Richard Branson said the deal was a "triumph of common sense". | Sir Richard Branson said the deal was a "triumph of common sense". |
| He had told staff threatening to strike to work elsewhere as workers said pay at Virgin was lower than rivals. | |
| The two-year agreement includes a 4.8% pay increase to be followed by a rise in line with inflation - similar to the initial offer. | |
| There is also a commitment to review pay again in April 2009. | |
| "This agreement recognises the important contribution cabin crew make to the business," said Brian Boyd, national officer at Unite, which represented the cabin crew. | |
| "I am of the firm opinion that we now have the opportunity to ensure an improved relationship with Virgin Atlantic in the future." | |
| The outcome is a triumph of common sense and means that our passengers need not worry about getting to their destinations Sir Richard Branson | |
| Management and union representatives said prolonged negotiations had damaged the relationship between the airlines, cabin crew and the union. | |
| "We are pleased that both sides have managed to avert strike action that was planned for this week and next," Sir Richard said. | |
| "The outcome is a triumph of common sense and means that our passengers need not worry about getting to their destinations." | |
| Sir Richard has admitted that rival airlines have often offered better basic wages but said that they did not offer the perks that came with working for a "smaller, more friendly" company. | |
| "For some of you, more pay than Virgin Atlantic can afford may be critical to your lifestyle and if that is the case you should consider working elsewhere," he said. | |
| Industrial action scheduled by workers at airport operator BAA has also been called off. | |
| Union members had called for strikes on 7, 14, 17 and 18 January, but these were called off last week after BAA eased plans to alter worker pension rights. |