British Airways staff at London Heathrow strike on Thursday, threatening the turmoil of already chaotic summer air travelers at one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs.
Air passengers across Europe have already faced long delays and cancellations of hundreds of flights in recent weeks as airports struggle to cope with the shortage of trained staff and strong post-pandemic demand. doing.
Strikes at Heathrow Airport can add pressure.
The proposed industrial activities relate to less than half of the airline Heathrow-based check-in and ground staff, who are primarily responsible for customer service, such as passenger assistance and baggage handling.
The GMB union said 95% of BA staff at Heathrow Airport who voted for a back strike after the BA was unable to roll back the 10% wage cut imposed during the pandemic. About 700 workers were voted, of which 80 percent voted.
GMB said the strike is likely to occur during the peak of summer vacation over the next two months, warning Heathrow Airport that it is likely to face a “summer of strikes.” Workers must notify the BA two weeks in advance before conducting a strike.
The news also said that many of the UK’s rail network were dysfunctional due to strikes as trade union bosses and rail operators demanded higher wages for workers to respond to the surge in inflation1 It will arrive in a week.
British Airways, owned by International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), said in an email statement that he was “extremely disappointed with the results.”
“Despite the very difficult environment … we have offered a 10% payment accepted by the majority of other colleagues. We are fully committed to working together to find a solution. I’m pouring. “
A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said British Airways should develop an emergency response plan to minimize confusion.
world
The Secretary of State for Transport has accused the union of “punishing” …
According to GMB, British Airways senior executives have reinstated their pre-pandemic salaries, but ground staff haven’t. Luis Gallego, CEO of IAG, received a total payment of £ 1.1 million (€ 1.4 million) in 2021. The company’s latest annual report shows.
“BA tried to provide members with bread crumbs in the form of a one-time bonus payment of 10%, but this does not reduce mustard,” GMB National Officer Nadine Houghton said in a statement.
A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said the airport “supports British Airways to minimize potential disruption to passengers.”
Air travel demand was stronger than expected as Heathrow Airport raised its individual passenger numbers forecast on Thursday from the previous 53 million to 54.4 million.
