Talks planned in bid to avert pre-Christmas airport strikes

  • Swissport
Credit: PA

Talks aimed at averting strikes by baggage handlers and airport staff that threatens Christmas travel chaos at the UK’s airports will take place next week.

Officials from the Unite union and aviation services company Swissport will meet at the conciliation service on Tuesday, conciliation service Acas said.

More than 1,500 check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew are planning to go on strike at 18 airports across the country from December 23-24 December.

Unite said the strike by Swissport workers is related to a long-running pay dispute.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "This is clearly a positive development. We are pleased that the company will sit down with us in an effort the resolve this dispute.

"We are confident that our members' case is extremely strong, and that fairness will prevail."

Baggage-handlers and other airport staff are threatening to strike over a pay dispute Credit: PA

The strikes are due to take place at the following airports:

  • Aberdeen

  • Belfast

  • Birmingham

  • Bristol

  • Bournemouth

  • Cardiff

  • Doncaster

  • East Midlands

  • Edinburgh

  • Gatwick

  • Glasgow

  • Heathrow

  • Leeds/Bradford

  • Luton

  • Manchester

  • Newcastle

  • Southampton

  • Stansted

In a separate announcement, British Airways said that cabin crew will strike on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in a row over pay.

No talks have yet been arranged to try to head off that strike.

Why are Swissport workers striking?

  • Unite members voted 62.5% to reject a 4.65% three year pay deal for 2015-2017. The union said the offer barely kept pace with inflation

  • The staff were also said to be angry that detrimental changes to terms and conditions have been linked to the pay deal

  • The changes include freezing overtime payments for the foreseeable future and restructuring pay