A planned strike by 500 handling staff at Britain's third-busiest airport this Bank Holiday weekend has been called off after unions agreed a pay deal with their employer, Swissport, the GMB union said today.
The strike at London's Stansted airport would have disrupted travellers flocking to quick getaways over the long weekend on budget airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet.
GMB organiser Gary Pearce said union negotiators were satisfied with the deal, which amounts to about 11 per cent over two years, and would recommend the offer to their members.
"It's a good deal for them," Pearce said. "They also increased the shift pay to reflect extra payment on Sunday."
The workers provide baggage handling and check-in services for about 80 per cent of passengers at the airport.