The ground handler strikes that were scheduled for the end of July and early August at London Gatwick Airport (LGW) have been called off. The decision comes after members of Unite the Union accepted an increased pay offer from ground handling companies ASC Cargo Handling and Menzies Aviation.
The union confirmed that its members accepted a "double-digit" pay raise following successful negotiations. This development also follows the cancellation of strikes by Gatwick DHL workers earlier this week, after workers voted to accept a 15% pay deal.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, stated that these positive outcomes were achieved because Menzies and ASC workers at Gatwick are unionized and stood strong. The strikes, which were set to take place from July 28 to August 1 and then again from August 4 to 8, would have coincided with the beginning of a school break in the U.K.
However, the threat of strike action at the airport is not entirely eliminated. Staff at Gatwick Ground Services, which handles British Airways and Vueling flights, are still voting on an improved pay offer. Currently, union members plan to strike from August 4 to 8, but there are promising signs that these walkouts will also be cancelled.
This news comes as a relief to Gatwick bosses, especially after the airport was impacted earlier this month by EasyJet preemptively cancelling 1,700 summer flights due to air traffic control delays. The likelihood of more strikes being averted is welcome news for travelers flying in and out of the London hub.
