LONDON – In a season which could be termed as a ‘season of protests and strikes, another strike is around the corner to affect passengers traveling from London.
The Unite union has announced three 24-hour strikes that will disrupt travel plans of flyers using Wizz Air from London Luton airport.
As per the plan, the strike is expected to impact the flyers at the end of August and the start of September as around 80 ground handling staff are set to walk out.
Unite states that the strikes will generate “huge disruption” to the Wizz Air schedule and travelers should brace themselves for substantial delays on the strike dates.
If one relies on the figures from travel analytics company Cirium, around 78,000 people would be affected.
For those who are planning to travel, it should be kept in mind that the walkouts are planned for August 30, followed by further strikes on September 6 and 13.
As per the details, over 80 members of Unite working for GH London Ground Handling Services, which provides ground handling for Wizz Air, will walk out for 24 hours as the relations between the company and the union turned sour.
‘GH London’s conduct is appalling; workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect in the workplace and the company’s behavior falls far below that standard,’ Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said.
Graham vowed that Unite always puts the jobs, pay and conditions of its members first and the workers at GH London will be receiving the union’s unflinching support.
As far as rail services are concerned, Luton airport is served by Thameslink and East Midlands Railway services, and fortunately, these are not expected to be impacted by the protest.
On the other hand, a spokesperson for Wizz Air said they were in touch with Luton airport and ground handling partner and were doing everything within their control to limit disruptions for passengers.
“In case of any disruptions, we will reach out to any affected passengers who booked directly with the airline via email and SMS and let them know their options as soon as we have an update,” the spokesperson said.
