Strikes at Gatwick Airport are called off after unions accepted improved offer of 10.3% pay rise
- Strike action will continue to loom over the West Sussex airport, unions say
Strike action due to start at Gatwick Airport on Friday has been called off after the final group of union members involved voted to accept an improved pay offer, it has been announced.
Unite said workers employed by Gatwick Ground Services (GGS), on the British Airways contract, followed employees at DHL Ground Handling, ASC and Menzies in cancelling industrial action following pay deals.
Strikes that were planned to last until Tuesday August 8 will now not go ahead.
GGS workers voted to accept an improved pay offer of 10.3%, according to Unite.
The union’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: ‘This is a significant pay increase for workers at GGS.
Strikes that were planned to last until Tuesday August 8 at Gatwick Airport will now not go ahead after workers voted to accept an improved pay offer of 10.3%
Gatwick has had a poor summer for delays, with hundreds of flights being disrupted due to strike action
Passengers walk as travellers arrive at Gatwick Airport after being evacuated off the Greek island of Rhodes (pictured July 25)
‘From the outset our members have been rock-solid in their determination to secure a fair pay increase, which has resulted in a just settlement.
‘The pay campaign at Gatwick Airport is a great example of how Unite’s unwavering commitment to jobs, pay and conditions for our members is delivering substantial financial benefits for workers.’
But the union warned of further industrial action at the airport.
Unite members at Red Handling, Wilson James and DHL Gatwick Direct have all voted for strike action in disputes over pay which, if they go ahead, will cause ‘substantial disruption and delays’ at the airport.
The union’s regional officer, Dominic Rothwell, said: ‘The threat of strike action continues to loom over Gatwick.
‘Further strikes will be called in the near future, which will cause substantial disruption across the airport, unless the companies concerned make vastly improved offers which meet our members’ expectations.’
EasyJet, which bases itself at the West Sussex airport, recently announced it had axed around 1,700 flights up to September – mainly at Gatwick – which will affect more than 100,000 holidaymakers. Industry experts predict other airlines and airports will follow suit.
Meanwhile, travellers who make it to the Mediterranean face difficult conditions when they arrive, with temperatures set to exceed 45C in Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey by the end of next week.
Residents and tourists run from a wildfire in Grebastica, Croatia, on Thursday as sweltering temperatures turn the region into a tinderbox
Land surface temperatures – how hot the ground is – reached excesses of 60C on Thursday in parts of Andalucia and western Spain
Alongside strike action, air traffic control (ATC) restrictions are further causing havoc for holidaymakers and airlines alike.
Strikes, staff shortages and air space closures related to the war in Ukraine mean ATC providers are limiting flight numbers across Europe.
European air traffic management body Eurocontrol warned that many key areas are expected to be hit by high overloads, so air traffic flow and capacity management measures will need to be taken, causing delays and flight cancellations.
Gatwick is the busiest single-runway airport in the world, but its flight numbers are currently capped at peak times due to the ATC issue.
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