Airport strike threat
12.06.09
Birmingham Airport workers - and staff at a number of other UK airports - could hold summer strikes after bosses at a ground services company said they ‘did not have the money’ for pay rises agreed last year, the Post reports. Check-in staff and baggage handlers employed by Swissport at a number of UK airports are angry the a 2.75 percent pay increase has not been honoured.
A two-year pay deal was agreed last year and staff wages should have increased from April 1. The same deal was agreed with members across the country, who also work at other UK busiest airports, including Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle.
The Unite union told the newspaper that Swissport told them it does not have the money to honour the agreement. John Partridge, regional secretary at Unite, said: ‘This two-year deal was agreed last year but has not been honoured. There was agreement for a 2.75 percent pay increase in April. They told staff that they were sorry but they were not honouring the rise because they could not afford it.'
‘They met one of our national officers, who told them that they had to come up with the cash. We spoke members to see if they would support the principal of industrial action and they said yes. We are now waiting to see what Swissport have to say. If Swissport say they are not going to pay then there will be a ballot for industrial action .’
A Swissport spokesman told the Post: ‘As part of a pay agreement a minimum increase of 2.75 percent was agreed. However, the subsequent economic events were not foreseen. We have invited the trade union to join with us in seeking ways both to increase revenue and productivity and reduce costs to fund the increase. Unfortunately they have refused to enter into any discussions.'
Add to: del.icio.us | Digg it | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
To book birmingham airport hotel or birmingham airport car park at the lowest price click on these links to birmingham airport car parking and birmingham airport hotel price comparison pages.
