Pilots working for EasyJet have suspended plans for industrial action after the airline came up with a set of proposals to ‘mitigate pilot fatigue’.
Union BALPA said it will put the new measures to pilots in a consultative ballot, but stressed the move does not mean ‘the dispute is not over’.
The move follows a strong vote in favour of industrial action amongst pilots at the beginning of last week in protest over pilot fatigue.
BALPA general secretary Brian Strutton, said on Friday: "We have been working hard today and over the last few days to find a solution to this dispute about pilot fatigue.
"EasyJet management has put a proposal on the table that the BALPA team feel has closed the gap between us considerably on a range of issues.
"We therefore feel it is right and proper to consult with our members at this stage and so we are suspending serving notice of industrial action on the company.
"As a result, while this proposal is being consulted on by BALPA members, we are suspending serving strike notice on the company.
"This does not mean the dispute is over, but it does mean that we have made sufficient progress to take an offer to pilots in EasyJet for their consideration.
"We take the issue of pilot fatigue extremely seriously, and hope that today’s proposals will form the basis of a strong agreement between EasyJet and its pilots."
