Virgin Australia averts strikes with cabin crew pay deal

(Reuters) - Virgin Australia has reached a cabin crew pay deal with unions that had called for strikes ahead of the busy end-of-year travel season, the airline said on Thursday.

The in-principle agreement is for 15%-plus salary increases over three years, depending on an employee's skill and tenure, Virgin Australia said in a statement.

"The overall cost of this agreement is in line with the agreements we have reached with other work groups," the statement said.

The Cabin Crew Enterprise Agreement was negotiated with the Transport Workers' Union of Australia (TWU) and the Flight Attendant's Association of Australia (FAAA).

Virgin cabin crew earlier this month voted in favour of 24-hour stoppages unless an agreement was reached, according to TWU and FAAA statements.

Bain Capital-owned Virgin Australia said in October it had returned to a profit for the first time in 11 years for the fiscal year 2023, buoyed by a strong recovery in travel demand following the COVID-19 pandemic.

"With the peak season upon us, it's a relief for everyone that protected industrial action won't be needed. Good, secure jobs are the answer to rebuilding aviation," the TWU said in a statement.

(Reporting by Lisa Barrington in Seoul; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

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