About 24,000 British Airways workers have secured a 13.1% pay rise in a deal hailed by Unite as a reversal of cuts brought in at the height of the Covid crisis. The increase, which also comes with a £1,000 one-off payment, will be paid over an 18-month period and was overwhelmingly accepted after a ballot of union members. Unite said the deal, which excludes pilots and management, restored staff salaries after BA launched a controversial “fire and rehire” tactic in 2020, when thousands of long-serving crew had to decide whether to accept an enhanced redundancy package or reapply for a similar job at lower pay. BA, along with other airlines and airports, has since increased recruitment as travel has become more popular and possible again after the easing of Covid restrictions. Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary said: “This is a sizeable pay increase, which has been achieved by the hard work and dedication of the union’s reps and officers, hammered out in detailed negotiations. “The fact that Unite has reversed the fire and rehire cuts …