Stansted strikes planned for Jubilee bank holiday
Baggage handlers at Stansted airport have announced more strikes over shift changes which are due to run over the Jubilee bank holiday.
Unite and GMB workers have announced industrial action starting from with 24-hours from 5.30am tomorrow which will mostly affect Ryanair who uses employer Swissport for its baggage handling.
Thomas Cook, Thomson and some other carriers may also see disruption but easyJet, which uses other baggage handlers, will be unaffected.
The action will continue with a 48-hour strike at the weekend and then a four-day strike from 2-6 June, unless an agreement is reached.
Workers are upset over pay – claiming cuts of up to £1,000 a year because of shift changes at the airport.
Ryanair has hit back saying it will operate a full schedule of flights to/from Stansted airport during this period.
Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said: "Ryanair will not allow these unions to blackmail or disrupt our passengers. If this threatened industrial action goes ahead we will ask passengers to check-in online and travel with carry-on luggage only."
Unite and GMB members threatened strikes over the Easter weekend but they were called off at the last minute when unions and Swissport entered peace talks with ACAS, see previous story.
Gary Pearce, regional organiser for GMB union say the workers want to find a compromise but are very angry over unpopular shift changes which they claim save no money.
He said: "We’ve had a couple of meetings where proposals have been put on the table and then withdrawn.
"The members are looking for something back for losing this money. We’re trying to get Swissport to talk and have put them on notice of the action."
By Diane Evans
Diane
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