Luton airport staff to strike for 12 days over security guard working hour

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

From Thursday May 23, Luton Airport staff will strike for 12 consecutive days and until 8.59 pm on Monday June 3 security guards responsible for searches, baggage checks and general security will walk out.

There were significant delays at the Britain’s fifth busiest airport due to the union Unite claiming strikes that were staged earlier this month.

The ‘heavy-handed’ changes to shift pattern is the reason why the union members are striking. It means that around 120 guards will end up working 15 extra days a year and will have only nine weekends off annually.

The staff recruitment at Luton Airport has not increased and this was not in sync with the passenger numbers which had hit a record 16.6 million last year as per unite. This has put burden on the existing security guards to make up for the shortfall.

The union demands that the new shift patterns should be suspended so that they get further time to talk.

Unite regional officer, Jeff Hodge said that the airport is trying to force their staff to work significantly more unsocial hours.  The workers will only get nine weekends a year and will have to work an extra 15 days a year.

The existing staff has been heaped under the burden as the recruitment of security staff has not matched the increasing passenger numbers.

The airport should treat the workers fairly who are standing firm. The workers are determined that the airport suspends the implementation of the new pattern to permit further talks. The management should get around the negotiating table and make  affair deal.

However, the Luton Airport had claimed that the disruption to the passengers will be minimal despite the industrial action.

A spokesperson mentioned that they would like to reassure the passengers that the strike involves only a small number of their security staff.

Earlier this month during previous action by the same group of Unite members there was no disruption to passengers and the average wait time was five minutes.

They had some robust contingency plans in place this time.

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