[A-List] UK labour militancy: airport staff

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Airport workers vote to strike
By Alan Jones, Industrial Correspondent, PA News
The Independent, 07 November 2002

Firefighters and security guards at airports including Heathrow and Gatwick
have voted to strike in a dispute over pay, it was announced today.

Around 2,500 workers employed by the British Airports Authority voted by 2-1
in favour of walkouts in protest at a pay offer of 1.7% plus £150.

The Transport and General Workers Union said the vote showed the "sheer
frustration" of workers at the company's offer.

Workers involved in the row include firefighters, security guards and
support staff at seven airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton,
Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Tim Lyle, the union's national secretary for aviation, said workloads had
increased at airports since the September 11 terrorist outrage.

"Coupled with the knowledge that traffic figures have improved and the
company is in profit, our members justifiably feel that the pay offer falls
short of what they deserve."

Union officials will meet on Monday to plan the industrial action.

The airport firefighters are not involved in the national firefighters
dispute and were expected to work normally in the event of any industrial
action called by the Fire Brigades Union.

The TGWU said the rejected offer was worth 1.7% from last April, plus £150,
then a further £150 from next January followed by an increase of the rate of
inflation plus 1% from April 2003.