Bournemouth Airport strikes back on as pay offer rejected

Strikes at Bournemouth Airport (BOH/EGHH) are back on after airport workers voted to reject the revised pay offer from the airport.

Around 80 employees who work in areas such as baggage handling, check-in, flight dispatching and plane fuelling had been due to walk out earlier this month but Unite suspended the industrial action to allow their members to vote on the new offer.

Strikes will now take place on the 30th of September and the 1st, 16th and 17th of October and are likely to to result in a shutdown of passenger operations on those days.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is completely unacceptable that people working for a profitable employer are struggling to afford the basics.

“Bournemouth Airport’s success comes from its hardworking staff. It can fully afford to reward them by coming back with fair offer. Unite members will have the full backing of the union during this industrial action.”

Bournemouth Airport handles around 950,000 passengers per year with flights to 34 destinations across Europe with Tui and Ryanair as the key airlines as well being the newest base for holiday airline, Jet2.

Unite regional officer Janet Wall said: “This dispute will inevitably result in major disruption to passengers but this dispute is entirely the fault of the employer.

“Offers so far have been rejected as they don’t go far enough to address years of low pay and the fact that workers are struggling financially. However, Bournemouth Airport can stop this highly disruptive strike action by coming back with a new improved offer.”

Unite says that strike action does not include the fire service as they have accepted a new pay deal.