Bank holiday strike may impact hundreds of thousands

Over 400,000 holidaymakers may experience significant disruption to their travel plan at the end of this month due to a vote by staff to strike at two of the country’s airports for low-cost and charter flights.

Unite union leaders have warned the public that walk-outs at Gatwick and Stansted airports are likely to spread across the UK, as workers at Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle airports cast their strike votes as well.

Check-in staff and baggage handlers at Gatwick and Stansted airports have voted to stage two 24-hour strikes – on the Monday 25 August bank holiday and again on 29 August – after rejecting a three per cent pay rise offer.

The strike by Swissport workers will have an impact on the services of Gatwick-based carriers First Choice, Monarch, Thomsonfly and Virgin Atlantic, and at Stansted Airport on flights operated by easyJet and Ryanair.

Representatives of the Unite union announced that all airlines using Swissport services would be grounded by the action. “The flights could not operate. If these strikes go ahead it would effectively shut down the airlines’ operations,” said Unite’s secretary for aviation, Steve Turner.

Airports operator BAA and Swissport have been in talks with airline bosses to determine if they can keep flights operating with a skeleton force. Swissport has indicated that it hopes to be able to “minimise disruption to the travelling public.”

Virgin Atlantic, reported that is has a contingency plan in place and was expecting “business as usual” at Gatwick. Ryanair announced that it will operate on a hand-luggage-only basis if the strike takes place as expected.

www.tgwu.org.uk