Unite, the union representing baggage handlers and other ground crew employed by Swissport in the UK, announced in a press release that a pre-Christmas strike has been called off following negotiations regarding pay and working conditions.
The proposed 48-hour strike was set to begin on Dec. 23 and would have seen more than 1,500 airport staff walk off the job in 18 airports around the United Kingdom.
The press release stated Unite shop stewards will now take the offer, made at talks convened by the conciliation service, Acas, back to their members.
“That the strike is called off is obviously good news for Unite members and very welcome news for passengers,” Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said in the release. “No worker likes taking strike action but often the threat of it is the only way to make headway in very frustrating circumstances.”
Unite members had voted by 62.5 percent to reject a 4.65 percent, three-year pay deal for 2015-2017.
Unite has Swissport members at Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, Leeds/Bradford, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Stansted airports.