Stansted: Strike Action Planned

21 May 2012, 09:36 | Updated: 21 May 2012, 11:27

Stansted Airport is going to be hit by 7 days of strike action over the Jubilee weekend.

The action, by staff employed by ground service company Swissport, includes stoppages over the Queen's Diamond Jubilee bank holiday weekend at the beginning of June.

GMB has given notice to Swissport of 7 days of strikes as follows:

  • From 05.30am on the 23rd May until 05.30am on the 24th May
  • From 05.30am on the 26th May until 05.30am on the 28th May
  • from 05.30am on the 2nd June until 05.30am on the 6th June

GMB suspended threatened strike action earlier this year over the introduction of new rosters which the union said would have led to a reduction in incomes of members after the company agreed to enter talks. Talks broke down last Friday.

GMB organiser Gary Pearce said: "GMB negotiators have been in talks to reach an agreement to resolve this issue since the agreed suspension of the strike action scheduled over Easter.

It is a shame that Swissport has made and then withdrawn a number of proposals including a return to the original four-days-on and two-days-off roster which would have settled the dispute. 

The proposals were withdrawn last Friday.''

Swissport told Heart: "At this time, we can confirm that the airport will be open as normal and expect no disruption to [our] services."

"The industrial action affects only staff engaged in baggage handling and despatch at Stansted Airport. It does not affect check-in or other customer facing staff or any staff at other bases at which Swissport operates."

Swissport handles flights for Ryanair, Thomas Cook, Thomson, AtlasJet and BelleAir.