Baggage handlers facing job cuts

A 90-day consultation period is to take place

A plan to axe 188 baggage handling jobs at Manchester Airport has been met with anger from union representatives.

Airport officials announced the staff cuts on Thursday - proposing to retain 139 out of the 327 baggage handlers employed at the site.

They say increased competition has led to the baggage handling side of the business making a loss.

Steve Grieves, of Unite union, vowed to fight the redundancies during a 90-day consultation with airport bosses.

Mr Grieves said workers were paying the price for bad management decisions and claimed the retained workforce would also have to take a pay cut under the proposed changes.

He said: "Our members are committed to Manchester Airport and we intend to fight to reduce the redundancies and protect the terms and conditions of our already lowly paid members."

A spokeswoman for Manchester Airport said the company had been left with "no alternative" but to reduce the size of its the baggage handling operation.

She said: "Although we have been working hard to secure the long-term future of the baggage handling business several significant contracts have been lost."