Gatwick Airport is bracing for potential disruption during the busy summer holiday season as nearly a thousand workers are preparing to embark on eight days of strikes over a pay dispute,

according to the Unite union. Baggage handlers and ground staff at four companies will participate in the strike, which is scheduled to take place from July 28 to August 1, and again from August 4 to August 8. Major airlines such as British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair, Tui, Westjet, and Wizz are expected to be affected.

While the exact impact of the strikes remains uncertain, Unite has warned that disruptions, delays, and cancellations are likely. Gatwick Airport has assured that it will support the affected airlines by assisting with contingency plans to minimize the impact on scheduled flights. The striking workers, who make up over half of the ground handling staff at Gatwick, are not directly employed by the airport but work for ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS, and DHL Services, providing services such as ground handling, baggage handling, and check-in operations.

The pay dispute arises as most of the workers earn less than £12 per hour, despite performing demanding and safety-critical roles. Unite has been advocating for pay increases for its members and had previously called off strike action by security staff at Heathrow Airport in June after reaching a new agreement. The strikes at Gatwick Airport, if carried out, will add pressure to the aviation industry already grappling with airspace restrictions over Ukraine due to the conflict with Russia and potential air traffic control strikes. The industry is also facing challenges such as a shortage of air traffic controllers and ongoing airspace constraints over Europe.

The strike at Gatwick follows a series of industrial actions in various sectors since last year, with workers across nursing, civil service, border force, and railways demanding pay rises that keep pace with the rising cost of living. The strikes will commence in the early hours of the morning on the specified dates, and their timing will vary based on the shift patterns of each company involved. During the strike days, approximately 4,410 flights with over 880,000 seats are scheduled to depart from Gatwick Airport, as reported by aviation analytics firm Cirium. Photo by Martin Roell from Berlin, Germany, Wikimedia commons.