Strike threat for Gatwick and Stansted

15.08.08

Passengers face flight chaos over the Bank Holiday weekend after ground staff at Gatwick and Stansted voted to strike in a dispute over pay. Strike votes by workers at other UK airports expected to follow, with flights by Virgin, Monarch, Thomsonfly, First Choice, North West, Air Malta and a number of other airlines affected.

The baggage handlers and check-in workers at the two London airports are to stage 24-hour walkouts on August 25 and again on August 29, after rejecting a 3% pay offer. They are calling for a one-year deal in excess of 5% - the current level of RPI - and for sick pay to be reinstated after the company removed it for the first 3 days of absence due to illness, including industrial injury.

The Unite union said staff at Gatwick and Stansted, employed by Swissport, had rejected the firms ‘paltry’ pay offer as it was well below the rate of inflation. The union warned that the dispute was likely to spread to other airports in the next few days. A ballot will be held for Manchester Airport staff on Monday and at Birmingham and Newcastle airports shortly.

Passengers flying from Stansted are facing disruption from a separate dispute, as workers who screen luggage prepare to strike after rejecting a 1.5% pay offer. The workers, employed by Airfield Services, are also demanding a 5% pay offer and will strike on the same days as the Unite workers.

Swissport said it was aware that a ‘small number’ of staff were planning to strike. A spokesman said: ‘We believe that a fair offer has been made in the light of the current economic climate and well documented problems within the aviation industry that reflects a cost of living increase. Swissport is working with the airport operators and the customer airlines to minimise disruption to the travelling public.’

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