BALPA (The British Air Line Pilots” Association), which represents BA”s 3,500 pilots, has come to an agreement with the airline to implement a radical new pay structure, which will now be adopted subject to a members” ballot. BALPA says that the new pay structure will enhance pilots” earnings over their whole career and also give immediate benefits to both pilots and company. At present, pilots” earnings range from approximately ”30,000 for new entrant co-pilots to ”130,000 for senior captains. However 47% of co-pilot earnings and up to 35% of a captains” earnings is composed of variable allowances such as for the destinations they fly to and distances flown. BALPA says that its BA members never knew how much they were going to earn each month and pensions could only be gained on the fixed salary. Under the new pay structure it all changes with pilots on a standard salary in most cases making more of their monthly earnings pensionable. Swept away is the complicated meals allowances system replaced by a simple Time Away From Base allowance paid at an hourly rate for every hour away.
http://www.balpa.org