August bank holiday travel chaos loom as Gatwick staff vote to strike
Countless vacationers are set to encounter mayhem at Gatwick airport during the long weekend of August bank holiday due to an ongoing dispute about wages that has led the staff to hold a strike.
Luggage handlers and personnel providing aid to passengers will go on strike for a total of eight days towards the end of this month. This includes a period of four days that coincides with the extended weekend.
The upcoming strikes will include 230 employees who are part of the Unite union and are employed by Red Handling, a baggage company. These workers will halt their work from August 18 for a duration of four days. Additionally, they will also engage in a strike for another four days starting from August 25.
The employees of Wilson James, who are responsible for providing support to passengers with special needs, will also cease their activities for a collective duration of six days throughout the month of August.
According to Unite, the initial wave of protests at Red Handling, which oversees the ground handling services for Norse Atlantic, Norwegian, Delta, Tap Air Portugal, and Saudia, will affect approximately 45,000 individuals traveling and lead to disturbances and setbacks for 216 flights.
The disagreement will cause concerns about a disorderly conclusion to summer for vacationers following widespread cancellations that impacted trips last year.
French air traffic controllers on strike have already caused airlines to cancel flights or redirect planes to different, longer routes.
Based on information provided by the Civil Aviation Authority, about 33% of flights experienced delays in the previous year due to an increase in passenger volume following the pandemic.
At the beginning of this month, Unite canceled the plan for strike action in several other ground handling firms, including the company responsible for managing passengers' luggage for British Airways. This decision came after Unite received better payment proposals.
Nevertheless, according to Dominic Rothwell, a regional representative for Unite, the impending strike will undoubtedly result in significant disturbances across Gatwick Airport. However, it is important to note that this dispute is entirely the fault of the employers themselves. Despite numerous chances, they have neglected to present our members with a justifiable salary proposal.
A representative from Wilson James expressed their disappointment regarding the outcome of the recent industrial poll. The operational leadership team at our Gatwick contract is disheartened. Our proposal is the result of several months of communication with our employees through their union representatives.
"During the previous year, we provided a substantial increase in overall salary when numerous other firms chose to keep salaries stagnant. Considering this situation, we believe that our current offer, which exceeds inflation rates, further demonstrates the importance we attach to our employees."
Red Handling was reached out to for a statement.
