Gatwick walkout 'has no effect'

Workers are staging a walkout on Thursday

Airport services company Servisair has said a 24-hour walkout by baggage handlers at Gatwick is having no effect on travellers.

Hundreds of Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) members employed by ground services company Servisair walked out at 0300 BST on Thursday.

The company said planes were actually leaving early because of the efficiency of managers doing the handlers' jobs.

The TGWU announced on Tuesday two more 12-hour walkouts on 6 and 8 October.

Working practices

Thursday's strike is the second 24-hour stoppage this week.

The dispute is over workloads and new working practices and what the union claims is "victimisation" of a union steward

"We want this dispute to be resolved as quickly as possible," said Madeleine Richards of the TGWU.

"But our members are determined to make sure that we win the protection for our senior shop steward and a commitment to negotiation around working practice changes."

Airlines including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic use different baggage handling companies and are not affected by the strike.

Servisair is one of four baggage handling companies at Gatwick, covering more than 20 airlines including Ryanair, Air Malta, Britannia, Thomas Cook, Easyjet, Excel Airways, Mytravel, Continental and Delta.