Airport staff call off strike after Acas steps in
A planned two-day walk-out by Swissport staff at UK airports has been suspended.
Baggage handlers and check-in staff at up to 18 airports had been due to strike for 48 hours from Friday, December 23.
Staff had voted for industrial action in protest over a pay deal that the union Unite said was barely in line with inflation.
The strike was called off after conciliation service Acas hosted talks between the union Unite and Swissport on Tuesday.
The 48 hour strike, poised to begin at 00.01 hours on Friday 23 December, would have seen over 1,500 frontline airport staff walk out in 18 airports around the UK.
Unite shop stewards will now take the offer, made at talks convened by the conciliation service, Acas, back to their members.
Unite has been working towards measures that would address the problem of chronic low pay at Swissport with some baggage handlers earning only pennies about the government’s minimum wage level of £7.20.
Commenting on the breakthrough, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "That the strike is called off is obviously good news for Unite members and very welcome news for passengers.
"No worker likes taking strike action but often the threat of it is the only way to make headway in very frustrating circumstances.
"All along we have said that these workers have a powerful case. They are employed on poverty pay rates – this union says that this is not good enough and so we are determined to win them a better deal.
"That is what these excellent stewards have made headway on today.
"We now take this offer back to the members for their consideration.
"Lastly, I call upon British Airways to pay heed. This union is clearly open to reasonable negotiations. We sincerely hope you take a leaf out of Swissport’s book and meet our members halfway on what is also a very just cause, the call for a living wage and equality for these young workers."
Unite members had voted by 62.5 per cent to reject a 4.65 per cent three year pay deal for 2015-2017, barely keeping pace with inflation.
Unite has Swissport members at the following airports: Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, Leeds/Bradford, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Stansted.
– See more at: http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/breakthrough-in-swissport-dispute-as-unite-calls-off-christmas-strike-action/#sthash.qZdDAbqj.dpuf
The 48 hour strike, poised to begin at 00.01 hours on Friday 23 December, would have seen over 1,500 frontline airport staff walk out in 18 airports around the UK.
Unite shop stewards will now take the offer, made at talks convened by the conciliation service, Acas, back to their members.
Unite has been working towards measures that would address the problem of chronic low pay at Swissport with some baggage handlers earning only pennies about the government’s minimum wage level of £7.20.
Commenting on the breakthrough, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "That the strike is called off is obviously good news for Unite members and very welcome news for passengers.
"No worker likes taking strike action but often the threat of it is the only way to make headway in very frustrating circumstances.
"All along we have said that these workers have a powerful case. They are employed on poverty pay rates – this union says that this is not good enough and so we are determined to win them a better deal.
"That is what these excellent stewards have made headway on today.
"We now take this offer back to the members for their consideration.
"Lastly, I call upon British Airways to pay heed. This union is clearly open to reasonable negotiations. We sincerely hope you take a leaf out of Swissport’s book and meet our members halfway on what is also a very just cause, the call for a living wage and equality for these young workers."
Unite members had voted by 62.5 per cent to reject a 4.65 per cent three year pay deal for 2015-2017, barely keeping pace with inflation.
Unite has Swissport members at the following airports: Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, Leeds/Bradford, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Stansted.
– See more at: http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/breakthrough-in-swissport-dispute-as-unite-calls-off-christmas-strike-action/#sthash.qZdDAbqj.dpuf
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "No worker likes taking strike action but often the threat of it is the only way to make headway in very frustrating circumstances.
"All along we have said that these workers have a powerful case. They are employed on poverty pay rates – this union says that this is not good enough and so we are determined to win them a better deal.
"That is what these excellent stewards have made headway on today. We now take this offer back to the members for their consideration."
He also issued a word of warning to British Airways, which is currently in a wage battle with staff who are threatening strike action.
"Lastly, I call upon British Airways to pay heed," he said.
"This union is clearly open to reasonable negotiations. We sincerely hope you take a leaf out of Swissport’s book and meet our members halfway on what is also a very just cause, the call for a living wage and equality for these young workers."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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