Easyjet staff vote on strike

Workers at the budget airline Easyjet are considering strike action over union recognition and pay.
Baggage handlers and cabin crew will vote on whether to walk out now that Easyjet has made it clear that it doesn’t recognise their union, the Transport and General Workers’ Union. They also want a higher pay rise.

Baggage handlers will vote this week while cabin crew will vote next week and a decision is expected by the end of September.

The TGWU has been trying to negotiate a pay rise since May but says the 1.3% offered by the company was not enough.

Budget boom

Strike action would affect about 110 baggage workers at London’s Luton airport. Easyjet’s 300 cabin crew are based at Luton, Gatwick, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast.

The TGWU said that it expected staff to vote in favour of the strike action.

“Our members are supporting our call for strike action in pursuance of a realistic pay offer and to secure an agreement on recognition,” said regional officer John Street.

Mr Street added that workers were seeking a “substantial increase” in pay.

The dispute is the latest difficulty to hit Easyjet amid the sharp rise in budget travel.

Earlier this month, the group admitted it had been forced to cut about four flights a day to cope with a huge increase in passenger numbers.

In July, an anonymous safety report claimed Easyjet pilots were cutting corners to meet their hectic schedules.

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Well this has been comming for a while but the rosta scandel must have made the workers even more in favour of strike!