No strike action at Gatwick Airport over August bank holiday weekend as workers accept new pay offer

Gatwick Airport strikes set to take place this weekend have been called off as workers accept a “dramatically improved” pay offer, union Unite has announced.

The four-day strike by workers employed by ground handling company Red Handling, members of Unite, was due to begin on Friday morning (25 August) and run through to Monday (28 August), causing serious disruption to holidaymakers.

Unite told NationalWorld that if the strikes did go ahead there would have been “substantial disruption”, affecting ground handling for Norse Atlantic, Norwegian, Delta, TAP Air Portugal, and Saudi.

The cancellation of the strike by Red Handling staff at Gatwick Airport comes as a separate strike action by staff employed by Wilson James, which operates the passenger assistance programme at the airport, has also been scrapped.

Unite’s members at Wilson James have accepted 16% pay increase as well as an increase in overtime rates from next month, a commitment to further negotiations over sick pay and the opportunity of improved shift patterns.

Red Handling workers have accepted a 14% pay rise, and they will also receive improved overtime rates and better sick pay.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a tremendous achievement, Unite has co-ordinated industrial disputes across Gatwick to secure well deserved pay increases for its members.

“The pay campaign at Gatwick airport this summer is one of the clearest examples yet of how Unite’s relentless focus on jobs, pay and conditions is paying direct financial dividends for its members.”

Unite regional officer Dominic Rothwell added: “This was an extremely complex campaign and its success would simply not have been possible without the hardwork, dedication and commitment of Unite’s reps and members at Gatwick.”

It comes after workers at Red Handling received a revised offer on Wednesday 16 August, which was balloted. Unite’s members decided whether or not the deal met their expectations.

Previously a Gatwick spokesperson said the airport “will support the airlines affected – who hold the contracts with Red Handling – with their contingency plans to ensure that as many flights as possible operate as scheduled.”

Despite strikes by both Red Handling and Wilson James workers being called off, London Gatwick is expected to face disruption over the bank holiday weekend due to the next round of national rail strikes which begin on Saturday 26 August.

The Gatwick Express service will not run, and only a skeleton service with reduced hours will operate on Thameslink and Southern. The same pattern is expected during a second walk-out by members of the RMT union on Saturday 2 September.