Gatwick baggage handlers strike

Workers have already held two 24-hour strikes at Gatwick

Hundreds of baggage handlers at Gatwick Airport stopped work at 0800 BST on Wednesday for 12 hours as part of a dispute with employers over workloads.

They also plan strikes on Friday, and Wednesday and Friday next week, forcing managers from baggage handling company Servisair to deal with the luggage.

The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) said two previous strikes had cost the company £500,000.

A spokesman for the airport said no disruption to flights is anticipated.

The TGWU says changes in working practices have resulted in "exhausting workloads" for its 600 staff who work for Servisair in Gatwick.

And the union was further angered when the company suspended its shop steward in July this year.

The support from our members remains strong and committed to taking more strike action if that is necessary Madeleine Richards TGWU regional officer

"Obviously we want his suspension and the disciplinary action to be revoked," a TGWU spokeswoman said.

A Servisair spokesman said figures for the strike on 30 September showed of 161 flights, 95% left on time, with 20% ahead of schedule.

Disciplinary action against the shop steward is the real problem, the company said.

"We believe it would be unfair to the remainder of the workforce to treat an individual differently just because he is a union official."

Servisair Gatwick director Andrew Saunders said: "We are ready and willing to meet at any time to resolve this dispute which we hope will happen in the near future."

Talks between the union and the company broke down on Monday.

Both parties say they are ready to negotiate, but no further meetings have been scheduled.

'Costly dispute'

But TGWU regional officer Madeleine Richards said: "This is a costly dispute for Servisair as they ignore their clients elsewhere to bring managers in on strike days."

The union was "determined to get a settlement", she added.

"The support from our members remains strong and committed to taking more strike action if that is necessary," she said.

Servisair said the company regretted that talks had broken down.

It is one of four baggage handling companies at Gatwick.

It covers more than 20 airlines including Ryanair, Air Malta, Britannia, Thomas Cook, Easyjet, Excel Airways, Mytravel, Continental and Delta.