Unite members from Red Handling, the aviation ground handling service, will be striking from 18 April (Good Friday) through to early morning on Tuesday 22 April, affecting baggage handlers, check-in agents and flight dispatchers for the airlines Norwegian, Delta, TAP and Air Peace.
Reports indicate that the strike action will affect up to 50 flights per day, with travellers likely to face delays and cancellations during this period, as well as long queues at check-in and baggage delays.
What is the strike about?
Unite members are in dispute over numerous issues, with the most pressing being the “continued mishandling” of the company pension scheme, which has been going on for more than a year.
According to Unite, members have found their payments have been missing or incorrect, and some have even not had pension schemes set up for them.
Unite also claimed that Red Handling is routinely paying its employees late, something it said has happened three times over the past year, with some staff workers waiting for wages for up to two weeks.
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Despite putting staff at risk of financial difficulty, Unite said Red Handling has failed to agree to a contractual late payment of wage reimbursement.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, said: “Workers have had enough of Red Handling playing fast and loose with their retirement plans and waiting weeks for pay they are rightfully owed for their hard work.
“The union will not stand back and watch members be treated in such an appalling way and they have the full support of Unite in this dispute.”
Unite said that as well as the problems with pensions and delays to pay, there has been the imposition of new working patterns without consultation and workers are also not having the legal 11 hours between shifts or lunch and afternoon breaks.
Advice for travellers
If you’re due to fly, it’s important to check your airline’s policy and stay informed about your flight status, as there’s no point turning up for a flight that isn’t going.
Guy Anker, director at Compare the Market, said: “Many carriers will offer rebooking options or refunds if services are disrupted. However, if the airline is forced to cancel the flight due to circumstances outside of its control, then you might not be entitled to compensation from it. If this is the case, check if you can make a claim on your travel insurance policy.
“Depending on your policy, your travel insurance could allow you to reclaim your holiday cancellation costs and may cover costs arising from missed connections or delays caused by the strike. However, some travel insurance policies specifically exclude cover for strikes, so check the terms and conditions.”
