15/08/2008

Gatwick Staff To Strike In Pay Row

British holidaymakers hoping to escape dismal climes on Bank Holiday Monday could have their plans put in disarray as Gatwick staff prepare a walkout.

Baggage handlers and check-in staff at Gatwick Airport are to strike on Bank Holiday Monday in a row over pay.

A Unite union spokesman said the strike will last for 24 hours and that a second walkout is being planned for 29 August.

All baggage handling and check-in operations will halt during the strike action.

The workers, who are employed by Swissport, have rejected a 3% pay offer, which Unite has said was "paltry" and "well below the rate of inflation".

Unite Joint General Secretary, Tony Woodley said on Tuesday that "workers are the victims of inflation not its cause".

Unite has warned that strikes could spread to other airports in the coming weeks.

Swissport, owned by Ferrovial, provides ground services for over 79 million passengers and 3.2 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 650 client companies.

(DS)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

09 September 2014
Heathrow Strike Action Expected On Friday
Passengers flying out of Heathrow are being told to expect delays on Friday, as the Unite union warns of strike action by ground handlers in a dispute about pay. Delays to aircraft taking off and passengers disembarking are to be expected, Unite said.
05 July 2004
Baggage handlers vote to strike over pay offer
Pay talks between airport services company Aviance and trade unions led by the Transport & General Worker’s Union (T&G), scheduled for Wednesday July 7, took on an extra significance today when the T&G announced that its members have voted to strike. The four to one vote in a dispute over the company's 2.
12 August 2005
Talks to begin over Heathrow catering row
Talks are set to begin in an attempt to resolve the industrial dispute, which has led to the cancellation of flights and the stranding of over 70,000 passengers at London’s Heathrow airport.
16 August 2010
Talks Begin Over Threatened Airport Strike
BAA and the Unite union are holding talks today aimed at averting a strike which could close six British airports later this month. Employees including security staff, engineers and firefighters voted in favour of strike action last week over a 1.
17 December 2009
BA Strike Stopped By Court
A proposed 12-day strike by British Airways cabin crew was deemed illegal at the High Court today. BA won an injunction against the action after claiming the union ballot wrongly included staff who were being made redundant. Talks between airline bosses and union officials ended without a resolution yesterday.