Just when holidaymakers hoping to fly off on holiday from London Gatwick airport were adjusting to the cull of flights by easyJet, a leading union is warning of “severe delays, disruption and cancellations” ahead of two long weekends of strikes at the Sussex hub.
Almost 1,000 members of Unite working for four ground-handling firms will walk out over two key weekends at the summer peak for the UK’s second-busiest airport. The union says the staff – who run check in, baggage handling and aircraft dispatch – are paid “a pittance”.
The ground-handling companies involved are ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services Ltd.
The first strike is from Friday 28 July to Tuesday 1 August, with a repeat a week later: Friday 4 August until Tuesday 8 August.
A Gatwick spokesperson said although the airport did not employ the staff directly, it would work with the ground handles to ensure “as many flights as possible operate as scheduled”.
But with memories of the chaos of summer 2022, when ground-handling shortcomings caused massive disruption across the UK’s airports, passengers are understandably concerned.
These are the key questions and answers.
Who exactly is going on strike?
Ground handling staff working on check-in, baggage handling and aircraft dispatch for four ground-handling companies at Gatwick airport. They are:
- ASC, handling Tui
- DHL Services Ltd, handling easyJet
- GGS, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways, handling BA and its sister Spanish airline, Vueling
- Menzies Aviation, handling Wizz Air and others
Why are they going on strike?
The union says most staff are paid under £12 per hour (the current national minimum wage for an adult is £10.42). The staff, says Unite, have “highly demanding and safety critical roles”. It has been talking to the four companies since January “but they all have failed to make offers that meets the workers’ expectations”.
The union’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said she is “committed to eradicating the scourge of low pay at the airport”.
Unite’s regional officer Dominic Rothwell told The Independent: “This dispute is about ensuring the hardworking men and women here at Gatwick Airport receive a decent pay rise.
“They live and work in one of the most expensive parts of the country and they are the backbone of Gatwick airport.
“Employers have had over six months to put a fair decent offer on the table and our members simply can’t wait any longer.”
What is the likely impact?
Mr Rothwell of Unite said: “Strike action will inevitably cause severe delays, disruption and cancellations across Gatwick’s operations.”
The walk-outs are planned for days when Gatwick is at full stretch. It is the busiest single-runway airport in the world, and any disruption can rapidly escalate.
During the strike period, Gatwick airport is projected to see an average of 441 daily departures, with easyJet being the biggest airline, followed by British Airways, Tui, Vueling and Ryanair.
Aviation depends on groups of experienced professionals working together to coordinate the passenger process, baggage handling and dispatch. If the strikes go ahead, and are well supported, the affected airlines would not be able to operate their full schedule – even with staff brought in from outside.
A spokesperson for the airport said: “We are aware of the recent ballot result. London Gatwick will support the airlines affected, who hold the contracts with the third-party ground handling and check-in companies, with their contingency plans to ensure that as many flights as possible operate as scheduled.”
Will the strikes affect arriving as well as departing flights?
If they go ahead, yes. While the check-in operation will not be relevant to arriving passengers, baggage handling and other duties will be affected. And of course if a British Airways, easyJet or Wizz Air flight outbound from Gatwick is cancelled, the return will normally be axed as well.
What sort of contingencies could be put in place?
Ground handling companies might aim to bring in staff such as management and workers from other airports.
Airlines could, as an extreme measure, seek to reduce the number of staff needed by, for example, banning checked luggage – thereby circumventing check-in and baggage handling. But at peak summer, which also corresponds with peak luggage, that would be very difficult to implement.
Will all the days be equally affected?
No. The exact timing of each strike varies depending on the individual company’s shift patterns but all strikes will begin in the early hours of the morning on the 28 July and 4 August and end in the early hours of the morning on 1 and 8 August.
Therefore the operations on the Tuesdays, 1 and 8 August, are unlikely to be significantly affected – except if disruption continues from the preceding four days of strikes.
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays tend to be the busiest days of the week at Gatwick, so disruption on the Monday should be lighter.
Could the strikes be called off?
Yes, there is every chance that they will be; many ground-handling strikes are announced, followed by serious negotiations with the employers, and then called off.
Talking to individual ground handlers working for one of the companies involved, it’s clear they believe the firms failed to appreciate the strength of feeling among staff – and the degree of support for industrial action.
By calling the strike at the minimum 14 days legally stipulated by employment law, the union has given little time for talks – though one reason for doing so may be to increase pressure on the employers.
A British Airways spokesperson told The Independent: “Our ground handling agent at Gatwick, GGS, is surprised by Unite’s announcement, given the constructive conversations they’ve had this week.
“It is continuing to work with the union to resolve this issue as a matter of urgency so as not to disrupt our customers’ travel plans.”
For Menzies Aviation, Phil Lloyd, senior vice president UK, said: “Sadly, Unite has rejected our earlier pay increase of 11 per cent for our ground services employees at Gatwick Airport. This pay award relates to our 2023 Pay Review and is in addition to the 10 per cent increase awarded in 2022.
“We are in continued discussions with our airline partners and remain committed to seeking a resolution. We have invited Unite to return to the table to continue discussions and hope to be able to reach an agreement which is workable for both the business and our employees.
“We will continue to work to pursue an agreeable solution to protect service to our airline and airport partners and their customers.”
With four separate companies (working for multiple airlines) one possible outcome is that some but not all of the firms settle with the workers.
But at present passengers must assume that flights will be going ahead and that normal cancellation/change penalties apply to bookings.
What are the other airlines saying?
The biggest airline at Gatwick is easyJet. A spokesperson said: “We are extremely disappointed to hear of the proposed industrial action by Unite ground handlers at London Gatwick Airport on the weekends of Friday 28 July and Friday 4 August.
“More talks between our ground handler DHL and Unite are taking place early next week to try and resolve the issue and we urge them to reach an agreement as soon as possible.”
A spokesperson for Wizz Air said: “We are in touch with our ground handling partners and are doing everything within our control to limit disruptions for passengers.
“We will reach out to any affected passengers and let them know their options as soon as we have an update.”
What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?
Normal European air passengers’ rights rules apply. The airline must pay for meals (and, if necessary, accommodation) during a delay. If a flight is cancelled it must get you to your destination as close as possible to the original time of the flights – including buying a ticket on a rival airline for you if necessary.
Didn’t we have this problem last year with ground handlers?
There was no significant industrial action, but as the travel industry emerged from the restrictions imposed during the pandemic, ground handling firms faced severe staff shortages – in some cases leading to last-minute flight cancellations.
British Airways, easyJet and Tui cancelled large numbers of departures.
Are there any ground-handling companies not going on strike at Gatwick?
Yes, for example Dnata, which handles Emirates, jetBlue and Turkish Airlines; and Red Handling, which handles Norwegian, Norse Atlantic and TAP Portugal.
Any other trouble on the horizon at Gatwick?
Unite says: “In addition to the four companies where an industrial action mandate has already been secured, Unite is also balloting its members at DHL Gatwick Direct, Red Handling and Wilson James.
“All three ballots will close on Monday 31 July if workers vote for industrial action, the strikes in these companies could begin by the middle of next month.”
