HOLIDAYMAKERS flying from Birmingham Airport have been warned of possibly chaos as 100 workers ballot to strike.
Security officers and terminal technicians employed by Birmingham Airport, as well as aircraft refuellers employed by Menzies, are being balloted for strike action over pay.
Unite, the union, say the ballot comes after staff have faced two years of substantial pay cuts with security officers working unsociable shift patterns for as little as £11.50 an hour.
Unite said last year the workers received a pay rise of just 2.8 per cent when the real rate of inflation, Retail Price Index (RPI), was running at 13.8 per cent an this year they have been offered 7.75 per cent and a one off £850 payment.
It added the Menzies workers, who drive and operate tankers and refuel over three quarters of planes at the airport, have rejected a nine per cent pay offer.
Unite regional officer Sulinder Singh said: “Strike action would cause a summer shutdown at Birmingham Airport but this would be entirely the fault of the airport’s leadership and Menzies.
“Many of the workers at the airport are really struggling to make ends meet.
“This is simply unacceptable when both companies have enough money to pay them fairly. The employers need to come back to the negotiating table with offers that are acceptable to our hard-pressed members.”
Strikes could begin as early as July and would severely impact Birmingham Airport’s operations, leading to significant delays and cancelled flights.
The ballot for strike action for Birmingham Airport security guards and terminal technicians closes on June 29.
The ballot of Menzies workers closes on July 3.
A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport said: “We note the union’s decision to ballot for strike action – despite our current pay offer being well above the current UK average.
“A substantial majority of our workforce has already had a significant pay rise having accepted the company’s offer.
“We will continue to discuss with this union ways to find an acceptable outcome.
“In the event strike action does take place, we are confident the impact will be limited, and we do not anticipate any cancellations.
“Our advice to customers remains to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their flight departure time, and in line with their airline’s advice.”
