New BA Offer - Strike Ballot Off

Unite has said it will defer a fresh ballot on industrial action - planned for next week after the airline made an "interesting" new offer.

Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of the Unite union, said it would be "suicidal and indeed inexplicable" if members were not consulted on the offer put forward by BA last week.It would be suicidal and indeed inexplicable if we didn't put this latest offer to our members at this stage," Woodley said.

He said that after "some interesting movement" by the airline, "we will be undoubtedly postponing the ballot that was due to start on Tuesday so our members themselves can view this latest and final offer from British Airways".

BA said the new offer would ensure existing crew will not see their pay cut when new, less-well paid members are taken on, and it has also scrapped a plan to raise the number of crew on flights, paid for by cutting crew allowances.

However, Tony Woodley added that the issue of the company's removal of travel perks from striking staff remained to be fully resolved and could still get in the way of a settlement.

The decision on whether to defer the strike ballot has to be formally confirmed.