950 Gatwick Airport employees to strike on July 28 over low wages
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British trade union Unite announced that a strike would begin on July 28 with the demand for pay raises.
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Passengers walk into the Departures entrance at the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport near Crawley, just south of London, July 22, 2020 (AP)
Nearly 1,000 Gatwick Airport workers will go on strike on July 28 to seek salary hikes as the UK sees record inflation and a cost of living crisis, according to Unite, a British trade union.
Employees from four firms — ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS, and DHL Services Ltd. — will strike, totaling 950 individuals, according to the union. During the pandemic, all four corporations undertook large-scale layoffs and reduced the wages and benefits of their surviving employees.
According to the trade union, "All four companies conduct outsourced operations for major airlines primarily undertaking ground handling, baggage handling, ramp agent, dispatchers and check-in agents roles. Given the scale of the industrial action, disruption, delays, and cancellations are inevitable across the airport."
A second strike is scheduled to take place from August 4-8 while the first is scheduled to end on August 1.
Airlines affected include but are not limited to British Airways, Easyjet, Ryanair, and TUI.
The United Kingdom is experiencing a large wave of strikes as a result of a record-high inflation rate. Employees of railways, airports, mail services, and legal companies are among those on strike. Fuel and food prices have risen as a result of supply chain disruptions induced by Brexit and the war in Ukraine.
Last month, doctors held a strike for five days. Medical professionals claim that over the past 15 years, their real compensation has decreased by 26% as wages have not kept up with inflation.
In May, nurses throughout the UK went on strike as part of a protest action by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) trade union, in what they call their greatest work stoppage to date, as the country's cost-of-living problem worsens.
In April, thousands of doctors held a strike, and 250,000 medical procedures and appointments were disrupted.
