The UK’s largest regional airline has announced a new pay deal for the airline’s cabin crew after a tough year.
Unite the Union and Loganair confirmed a new pay deal that is worth up to £3,000.
About 120 cabin crew are to benefit from the deal that will take effect this month.
Staff members will receive a £700 one-off payment in April as well as a further minimum pay increase of £1,000 from September. In 2023, crew members will get a further £1,000 increase in September.
The deal ensures that over 18 months, staff will receive an 11.2% increase on basic pay.
As part of this new pay agreement, the majority of variable pay for the cabin crew will be combined with their basic salaries for the first time.
This will help support Loganair cabin crew members with the ability to secure mortgages or rentals based on demonstrable earnings. It will also provide them with greater certainty of income throughout the year.
What is variable pay?
Cabin crew receive a basic pay rate which is what would be seen as their salary. On top of this, they also can receive variable pay such as money for hours flown or to help with expenses with perhaps hotels and meals.
However, this does not tend to be included as part of their basic salaries. This can put them at a disadvantage when applying for mortgages or purchases that require demonstrable earnings.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary said Loganair’s new pay agreement was implementing a much-needed change.
She said: “The pay agreement for Loganair cabin crew is an excellent result for our members, raising pay and bringing much-needed stability to their salaries.
“The Loganair deal is a brilliant example of Unite delivering for its members as we strive to improve the jobs, terms and conditions of our members based in airports across Scotland and the UK.”
Helping to safeguard employees
The deal comes after the airline said they faced “the most challenging” year in its history after being hit hard by the pandemic.
Loganair chief operations officer, Maurice Boyle, said: “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked to safeguard employment and ensure that our cabin crew are fairly rewarded for the excellent work that they do.
“We’re pleased to have successfully completed this pay agreement with Unite, which will provide immediate help with the cost of living together with further pay increases over the next 18 months.”