Gatwick Airport strikes suspended for now in relief for easyJet and TUI passengers

A strike due to target Gatwick Airport this week has been suspended.

Airline catering strikes at Gatwick, by members of Unite employed by dNata, have been paused to allow workers to be balloted on a new settlement offer. Following negotiations, a new offer was put forward by the company.

Strike action scheduled from Friday 26 April to Monday 29 April has now been suspended. Unite regional officer Dominic Rothwell said: “Following an improved offer from dNata, Unite has suspended strikes in order to ballot its members on the new offer.”

TUI and easyJet passengers flying from Gatwick had been warned that there would be no food or drink available on certain flights during the strike period. Around 100 workers, including HGV drivers and warehouse staff, were due to strike from Friday 26 April to Monday 29 April, from Friday 3 May to Monday 6 May and from Friday 10 May to Monday 13 May. The latter dates may still go ahead, depending on the results of the ballot.

The dispute came due to a change in shift allowance for all staff which was brought in last April, which the union says has led to dNata workers receiving a pay cut. In a statement when the strike was announced, Unite claimed: "Emirates Group-owned inflight catering firm is falsely claiming the workers’ union, Unite, agreed to the removal as part of a deal that saw the introduction of a night shift premium." The union has also warned that "strike action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved".

Meanwhile an unrelated strike has been called at Heathrow Airport that will see hundreds of workers across the travel hub walk out. Unite said close to 800 workers will leave their posts from midnight on May 7 to the end of May 13 in a major display of industrial action in opposition to outsourcing. The union has strongly criticised Heathrow management for planning to outsource hundreds of roles in a cost-cutting exercise.

Unite has accused Heathrow of ignoring existing consultation procedures by announcing that workers who assist travellers to catch connecting flights, trolley operations employees and campus security who check all vehicles they enter the airport will be outsourced by 1 June.

Unite has warned that fire service and airside operations could be next in line for outsourcing and has called for a 'multilateral collective bargaining agreement', which would allow different groups of workers across the airport to join together in their negotiation efforts. AFS Ltd, an airline refuelling company, is also taking part in strike action on 4, 5 and 6 May.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We are reorganising our operations to deliver better results for our customers. There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted. Unite’s threats of potential industrial action are unnecessary, and customers can be reassured that we will keep the airport operating smoothly just like we have in the past."

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