Strike action at British airports called off

Planned strikes by workers at three British airports that would have caused severe disruption next week have been called off…

Planned strikes by workers at three British airports that would have caused severe disruption next week have been called off.

The dispute - which would have affected Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports - involved airport services business Swissport, and cabin staff and baggage handlers who are members of the Unite and GMB unions.

After hours of talks at conciliation service Acas, both unions said that they had suspended the planned strikes.

But flights at Stansted could still be affected as a separate GMB dispute at Stansted involving more than 30 security scanners employed by Airport Services is still due to go ahead next Monday.

The Swissport dispute has involved pay, with both the GMB and Unite now putting a new, improved offer to their members.

Before the breakthrough at Acas, air passengers were facing 24-hour strikes at Gatwick and Stansted next Monday and on Friday, August 29th as well as 24-hour strikes at Manchester on Wednesday, August 27th and Monday, September 1st.

Ryanair welcomed the resolution of the dispute.