Ryanair travel warning as 200 flights a day face disruption this summer
RYANAIR passengers are being warned of travel disruption this summer, which could affect as many as 200 flights a day.
Baggage handlers at Blue Handling are threatening strike action due to pay cuts, which will affect hundreds of flights if it goes ahead.
Union Unite has warned that unless they get a substantial pay rise then they will walk out over the summer.
And with airlines already facing huge problems with delayed and cancelled flights, it could result in even more chaos for Brits hoping to go abroad during the peak holiday season.
Blue Handling employs more than 750 staff, which handles 200 flights a day during the busy season.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Given the chaos in the airline sector, it is unbelievable and irresponsible that Blue Handling is still refusing to pay decent wages.
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"Unite’s members are ready for strike action. We now expect Blue Handling to step up and pay these workers fairly.”
A meeting is due to take place today to discuss the current pay rise.
Unite regional officer, Burcin Bayazit said: "Blue Handling’s client Ryanair has recovered well from the pandemic.
"Blue Handling must ensure that our members are repaid the money the workers lost during Covid.
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"Our members have made it clear to us that they are ready to take part in an industrial action ballot. The company needs to get serious otherwise it could face significant disruption this summer.”
A Blue Handling spokesperson commented: “An improved programme of pay was agreed and signed by Unite the Union, the GMB union and ourselves.
"The recommended offer included an immediate 10.9% increase in pay, as well as an additional rise in 2023 of up to 4%. We were therefore very disappointed to learn that the offer recommended by the unions was subsequently rejected.
“The industry is still in the early stages of a fragile recovery, and we must be aware of further shocks to our business while recovering COVID-19 losses.
"The signed agreement reflected the current climate of recovery to ensure we can continue to provide a competitive service at Stansted, while accelerating pay restoration for our team."
Ryanair has already issued a travel update for Brits travelling in the next few days, advising to leave three hours before departure to avoid the current travel chaos.
A Ryanair spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: "We are aware of the ongoing negotiations between Unite and ABM who provide third-party handling services to Ryanair at Stansted.
"We understand these negotiations resulted in a signed agreement between ABM and Unite for significant pay rises for all staff which was subsequently rejected at ballot.
"We understand talks are ongoing and hope that they will be resolved with recourse to industrial action."
And it's not just Ryanair passengers that could be affected by strike action.
BA passengers have now been warned of major delays next week ahead of industrial action in a dispute over pay.
Unite, the trade union, say check-in staff have missed out on pay rises and even though the airline has restored the management pay to pre-pandemic levels, it refuses to reverse a 10 per cent pay cut that was imposed during Covid.
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The ballot that includes 500 staff, is expected to be open between June 7 and 27.
Should workers vote in favour of industrial action, strikes are expected to occur in July, causing major disruptions for travellers during the summer holidays.
