Luton Airport (UNITE) Strike Calendar

EasyJet passengers flying from London Luton Airport to major holiday destinations this Christmas will face disruption as DHL check in and baggage handling staff have voted to take strike action. The staff are outsourced to easyJet by DHL and work on check in desks and as baggage handlers. They operate on popular routes to and from Luton including to countries such as Spain, Germany, Italy and Czech Republic. Around 200 workers, members of Unite, are taking action after rejecting the company’s latest offer of a 4.5 per cent pay rise. Workers believe this doesn’t go far enough to address the low pay rates, the current cost of living crisis and rising food, fuel and heating bills with workers struggling to afford essentials, while DHL workers at Gatwick earn around £3 an hour more for doing the same job.

Strike action involving ground handlers employed by GH London at Luton Airport due to take place tomorrow (Wednesday 13 September) has been called off to allow last minute peace talks to take place.

Airport passengers will be braced for disruption as over 100 workers employed by GH London, who undertake ground handling for Wizz Air at the airport, have announced a further four days of strikes beginning on Wednesday 20 September. This is in addition to the strike already announced to take place on 13 September.

The strike is a result of GH London continually targeting and threatening a Unite rep with disciplinary action; the use of CCTV and audio recording of workers in break rooms without agreement; the company’s failure to follow its own disciplinary and grievance process; the disproportionate use of discipline against ethnic minority employees; and its failure to pay wages in full and on time.

Workers employed by Saase Limited on the airport’s outsourced cleaning contract will also be on strike for four days from Wednesday 20 September. The workers, who are paid just £10.90 an hour, have rejected a below inflation pay increase. The strike will result in dirty toilets and an unkempt airport.

Passengers flying with Wizz Air have been warned to brace themselves for substantial delays and disruption after workers employed by its ground handler GH London Ground Handling Services Ltd, announced strike action following a complete collapse in industrial relations.

Over 80 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will stage three initial days of strike action. The first 24-hour strike will take place on Wednesday 30 August followed by further walk outs on 6 September and 13 September.