UK Airport Staff Back Strike Call

By VICTORIA O’HARA

THOUSANDS of Ulster air passengers travelling to Britain could be facing Bank Holiday chaos after baggage handlers and check-in staff at Gatwick and Stansted voted to strike.

Employees are set to walk out on August 25 and August 29 in a dispute over pay that could spread to Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle airports.

The strike will halt all baggage handling and check-in operations across airlines including Virgin Atlantic, Monarch, Thomson Fly, First Choice, North West, Air Malta, Air Transat, Oman Air, as well as some smaller airlines.

Workers involved in the dispute also handle baggage and check-in arrangements for Ryanair and easyJet at Stansted. Up to 20 daily easyjet flights from Aldergrove could be affected.

According to union Unite, the dispute is likely to spread to other UK airports. A spokeswoman for Belfast International Airport said: “We will be monitoring the situation closely and we will be talking with the airlines closer to the strike dates.

“However, we would advise all passengers who have booked to fly on those days into Gatwick or Stansted, or from those two airports to Belfast, to contact their airline for advice.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for George Best Belfast City Airport also said they will “be monitoring the situation closely”.

Workers employed by Swissport have rejected a “paltry” 3% pay offer, which unions argued was well below the rate of inflation.

The company was also accused of removing sick pay for the first three days of any absence due to illness, including industrial injury.

Members of Unite at Gatwick and Stansted will take part in the strike, while GMB members at Stansted will also walk out on the same days. Unite will announce a ballot result among its Swissport members at Manchester Airport next week.

And it said workers in Birmingham and Newcastle airports will also be balloted for strike action over pay.

A spokesman for Swissport said: “Swissport believes that a fair offer has been made to the unions in the light of the current economic climate that reflects the cost of living increase.

“Swissport is working with the airport operator and the customer airlines to minimise disruption to the travelling public.”

Unite national officer Steve Turner said: “Our members are already struggling to keep up with rising food and energy costs.

“This pay offer is an insult to professional, hard-working men and women who have to operate in extremely difficult conditions.

“This result is just the first to be declared, with positive ballot results expected over the next few days at Stansted and Manchester airports.

“Swissport workers will also shortly be balloted at Birmingham and Newcastle airports, which could see an escalation of industrial action across the UK’s airports.

“Our members have had enough.

“The liberalisation of ground handling services across UK airports has resulted in a ‘race to the bottom’ , which must and will stop.

“We will not stand back and allow labour costs to determine whether contracts are won or lost,” he added.

GMB officer Gary Pearce said: “GMB members cannot afford these low pay rises given the rising prices they have to pay for food, energy and transport.

“The employers, the airlines and the airport operator need to adjust their view as to what our members will now accept.

“The only way they have of meeting higher prices passed on to them is to raise their own prices in higher pay rises.”

(c) 2008 Belfast Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.