Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
17 August 2013 12:52
Baggage workers at Stansted Airport are planning to go on strike over the bank holiday weekend
Holidaymakers planning a trip abroad from Stansted Airport over the bank holiday weekend might want to give extra consideration to their choice of travel insurance after baggage workers announced strike action.
A total of 40 members of the GMB union are planning several two-and-a-half-hour strikes, at 3.30am and 3.30pm each day, from Friday August 23 until Tuesday August 27. This means that passengers will either have to travel light, with only cabin luggage, or face being delayed and possibly missing their flight.
The union announced the series of strikes after the workers saw premium payments for working night shifts and other anti-social hours as well as overtime payments abolished to help finance a pay rise.
An airport spokesman said: "We hope that we will be able to reach an agreement with the union, but if we can't full contingency plans will be put into place to ensure any disruption to passengers is kept to a minimum."
Contractor Stansted and Mitie, which is responsible for operating the baggage system at the airport, also said disruption would be kept to a minimum over the weekend. Talks with the union to bring an end to the conflict are reported to be taking place next week.
GMB organiser Gary Pearce said passengers should prepare for severe disruption if the conflict is not resolved before the bank holiday weekend, as the Department for Transport needs to issue everyone who scans luggage with a licence - which means it will be tricky for the airport to hire short-term staff.
Mr Pearce said Stansted and Mitie offered to increase wages by 2%, but scrapping the premium payments would effectively lead to a loss of 3%.
He added: "Our members will have two stoppages of two and a half hours each, to avoid closing the check in desks for the whole day. When they do start work they will do their best to get the bags on the aircraft but there will be huge delays."
16 October 2018
Patients with brain tumours lose out on almost £15,000 per year, a new report has revealed.
[more...]
13 October 2018
Chris Grayling has given his "categorial assurance" to Parliament that a no-deal Brexit will not ground flights in and out of the UK, despite recent warnings from experts that this remains a possibility.
12 October 2018
The rising cost of fuel could force more airlines out of business, the boss of easyJet has warned.
11 October 2018
The image of the boozy backpacker might be a thing of the past as a new study suggests more and more youngsters are shunning alcohol completely.
10 October 2018
The NHS says just one in 10 drinks sold in English hospitals will be sugar-sweetened, as part of its bid to curb rising obesity levels.
09 October 2018
More than 260,000 diabetes patients were put at risk of lasting harm or even death during hospital stays last year due to medication errors, a new report has revealed.
06 October 2018
NHS patients with a specific type of lymphoma will soon be able to access a "game-changing" new treatment, health officials have revealed.
05 October 2018
People living with diabetes are being warned they might be "unwittingly" storing their insulin incorrectly.
04 October 2018
The world's first commercial jet part-powered by a new form of biofuel touches down in London on Wednesday (3rd October).
03 October 2018
New 'hotel-style' carriages that were due to be rolled out for the Caledonian Sleeper have been delayed until next year.
02 October 2018
Budapest has been revealed as the cheapest destination for UK holidaymakers looking for a cultural break, according to a new report.
29 September 2018
Holidaymakers heading off by train will soon be able to check their blood pressure at the station, as part of a new scheme aimed at boosting the number of people getting checked.