Undercover footage taken at Manchester Airport has revealed critical staff shortages in Swissport baggage handling teams – with workers describing conditions as “f*****g chaos” because they have “literally no staff”.
The video, recorded as part of a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation around a month ago, shows baggage handlers struggling to perform physically demanding shifts alone. Staff say the work would have usually been covered by two or more people before the pandemic hit.
Other baggage handlers revealed their team numbers have been slashed, saying the majority of people who were sacked were “experienced staff”. In one video, taken by an undercover reporter, a worker can be heard saying: “It’s f*****g chaos here – just literally no staff, mate. It’s s***.”
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At one point, the camera appears to show luggage on the ground after falling from the carousel. The reporter asks the baggage handler: “Am I sticking these on? Or have they just fallen off?”
The staff member replies: “I give up, mate. I’ve just had enough already. It’s meant to be a two-man job – put me on my own. Trust me, this one’s failed a little bit, trust me. I thought, ‘You know what, f*** them. I don’t give a f***, mate. F*** them.”
When the undercover reporter asks the worker if they are usually on their own all day, they reply: “Yeah, that’s why I’m annoyed. It’s daunting if you’re on your own. They’ve got rid of experienced staff, that’s why we’re struggling.”
In the UK, Swissport cut over half its 6,000 ground handling staff during the pandemic. Commenting on their investigation, the undercover reporter said: “To be honest, I just don't know how people do these shifts and these kinds of hours starting at 3am. It’s absolutely brutal. No one gives them much credit. But without them no one's flights will be taking off. No one will be going on holiday.”
Manchester Airport has faced challenges with demand following the easing of Covid travel restrictions. Passengers have complained of long queues , delayed and cancelled flights and lost luggage , as the airport struggled with a lack of staff.
But bosses say waiting times are falling dramatically despite the airport experiencing its busiest time since before lockdown. During July, 92 per cent of people passed through security in under 30 minutes. Over the last week, more than 95 per cent of passengers got through security in under 30 minutes, with more than three quarters of people passing through in less than 15 minutes.
In response to Dispatches’ investigation, Swissport said: “We are sorry for our part in the disruption some people have experienced at Manchester Airport. We are doing everything we can to mitigate delays for passengers, including hiring more than 4100 people since January.”
The Manchester Evening News has approached Manchester Airport for comment.
Airport Chaos Undercover: Dispatches is set to be shown on Monday, August 1 at 8pm.
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