Similar Walkouts Coming To Gatwick, Stansted

If your imminent travel plans take you anywhere close to Manchester Airport in Britain, here are a couple dates you'll want to avoid.

Baggage handlers and check-in staff employed by Swissport at Manchester Airport have overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action in a seemingly neverending dispute over pay. Two 24 hour strikes have been scheduled to take place on August 27, and again on September 1.

Officials with Unite -- the union representing the workers -- warn the strike will impact all baggage handling and check-in operations at Manchester, affecting a slew of airlines including Air France, KLM, Monarch, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic.

"Swissport's intentions to cut our members sick pay and offer a paltry wage deal when food and energy costs are spiralling is unacceptable," said Mick Whitley, Unite regional officer based at Manchester. "The staff working for Swissport at Manchester Airport are making it abundantly clear that they will not accept the erosion of their pay and terms and conditions."

Unite says Swissport offered a 3% pay increase backdated to July, rather than the anniversary date of April 1 and in a two year offer, with regular pay increases capped at 4% in year two -- lower than the current 5% rate. The company offer also removes sick pay for the first three days of any absence due to illness, including industrial injury.

The union is calling for an increase in excess of 5% in a one year deal without concessions. 97% of workers who took part in the ballot voted for strike action.

Last week, the union announced that Swissport staff at Gatwick and Stansted will hold two 24 hour strikes on the August 25 and 29. The Gatwick and Stansted strikes will halt all baggage handling and check-in operations across airlines including; Virgin Atlantic, Monarch, Thomson Fly, First Choice, North West, Air Malta, Air Transat, Oman Air as well as some smaller airlines.

FMI: www.manchesterairport.co.uk/. www.amicustheunion.org/