London Gatwick, the second busiest airport in Britain, will experience eight days of strike action this month with around 230 workers participating due to disputes over pay, according to the Unite trade Union. This strike action during the peak summer travel season may cause flight disruptions.
.gif)
Various employers including Red Handling, Wilson James, Menzies, and ASC are negotiating with ground handlers, passenger assistance, and other airport workers at Gatwick in separate pay disputes. Workers from Red Handling and Wilson James will take industrial action despite improved pay offers that led to the cancellation of some planned strikes last month.
The latest strikes are scheduled to take place from Aug. 18-28, ending on a bank holiday for most of Britain, and will cause over 200 flights to be disrupted or delayed in the first four days, according to Unite. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham emphasized that other employers at the airport are willing to pay the going rate, and there is no excuse for Red Handling and Wilson James not to do the same. "There is no way our members will accept a real terms pay cut and poverty pay," she said.
Due to high inflation and insufficient pay rises, hundreds of thousands of workers in Britain have been taking strike action since last year. The airport spokesperson stated that Gatwick would support airlines and other companies in their contingency planning for the strikes, and urged staff at Wilson James, Red Handling, and their union to come to a resolution.