BIRMINGHAM – Passengers traveling through and from Birmingham are set to face another trouble as a fresh strike is around the corner.
An ‘indefinite strike’ over pay has been scheduled and if goes as planned, the majority of planes at Birmingham Airport could be grounded in August. In this regard, fuel tanker drivers and operators employed at BHX are set to walk out on August 15, visibly hinting at the disruption of operations.
Unite, the UK’s leading union, which is also representing the disgruntled workers employed by aviation firm Menzies, said industrial action could lead to flights being canceled on and following August 15th.
Airlines TUI, easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Lufthansa and Emirates would be impacted if an improved pay deal is not agreed, stated the union.
On the other hand, the airport authorities seem to be unbothered by the announcement and even said they don’t anticipate flight cancellations as contingency plans are being put in place.
The staff, responsible for refueling more than three-quarters of the airport’s planes, has rejected Menzies’ nine percent pay raise offer; the union claimed the offer was a ‘real terms pay cut’ when the ‘real rate of inflation hovers around 10.7 percent’.
It merits mentioning that last year, workers received a six percent pay increase but Unite general secretary Sharon Graham affirms that Menzies can afford to pay and it should pay.
“The company cannot expect these workers to agree to two years’ of real terms pay cuts during a cost of living crisis when it is bringing in such massive profits. Unite is totally focused on improving our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and the workforce at Menzies have Unite’s total support,” he said as reported by Birminghammail.
Despite the ‘contingency plans’ of the airport authorities, Unite regional officer Sulinder Singh said holidaymakers will not be pleased that their summer getaways could be ruined. He alleged that Menzies’ greed has resulted in their planes sitting on the tarmac.
