Union warns Luton passengers of ‘considerable disruption’ due to strike action
Workers responsible for helping disabled passengers at Luton Airport are due to strike for 48 hours next week.
Staff working for Clece Care services will walk out between Tuesday July 17 at 5.00am to Thursday July 19 at 4.59am.
They are in a dispute with their employer which stands accused of exploiting its own workforce while providing services to people with restricted mobility.
Unite the union said most staff are on the minimum wage and their ‘precarious employment’ often sees shifts cancelled at short notice, making budgeting from one week to the next near impossible.
Unite regional officer Jeff Hodge said: "Clece claims its aim is to benefit society but it is leaving its UK workers impoverished. Its workforce at Luton airport, who are responsible for helping disabled passengers travel safely, are on a toxic combination of zero hours and the minimum wage.
"Luton Airport awarded the contract to Clece, so it cannot wash its hands of responsibility for the workers’ treatment.
"The workers’ demands are reasonable, they want an end to zero hours and their pay brought up to the real living wage. They are in a ‘David & Goliath’ battle, taking a brave stand against exploitation."
Unite said the strike action will cause considerable disruption to passenger services at the airport.
But a spokesman for Luton said it anticipated ‘minimal’ disruption from the action by Unite members.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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