London's Gatwick Airport appears to have avoided significant disruption this weekend as a majority of workers accepted improved wage offers, cancelling imminent strikes.
The workers had planned to strike on two successive weekends commencing July 28 and August 4 after unsuccessful talks over pay and working conditions.
Ground handlers employed by four companies at Gatwick – ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services – were part of the planned walk out.
On Wednesday, the Unite union announced workers at ASC and Menzies Aviation had accepted new pay deals, calling off strikes planned at Gatwick this weekend.
ASC workers, servicing Tui flights, agreed to a "double-digit pay rise," while Menzies Aviation staff, under a Wizz Air contract, approved a 13 per cent pay increase for ground-handling staff and a 17 per cent boost for the lowest-paid employees.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham praised the "excellent" deals and credited the results to unionised workers standing strong during talks.
This week about 600 DHL employees, who work under an easyJet contract, also called off their planned strike over the next two weekends after they accepted a 15 per cent pay raise, along with an increase for night shifts.
Meanwhile, staff at GGS, which serves British Airways and Vueling, remain locked in negotiations, potentially putting an end to all strike actions at Gatwick this month and next.
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The construction site of the main terminal building at Gatwick Airport in 1935. All photos: Getty Images -
Workmen completing the main building at Gatwick in 1936 -
Tinsley Green Station being renamed in 1936, a week before the opening of the new airport -
Passengers check-in at the newly opened Gatwick Airport in 1936 -
A British Airways passenger aircraft at Gatwick Airport in 1936 -
An aerial view of Gatwick Airport in 1938 -
Flyovers leading to and from the main Brighton Road at Gatwick Airport in 1958 -
American Vice President Richard Nixon greets the crowds on arrival at Gatwick Airport in 1958 -
A group of young women wait to use a photo booth machine to obtain passport style photos at Gatwick Airport in 1963 -
British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, right, welcomes US President John F Kennedy at Gatwick Airport in 1963 -
Passengers queue at the check-in counters in 1966 -
Paul McCartney with his wife Linda and their two children, Mary and Heather, at Gatwick Airport in 1971 -
Hideaway, Graham Fletcher's mount for the Prix des Nations jumping competition at the Montreal Olympics, is coaxed on to a plane at Gatwick in 1976 -
Pope John Paul II kisses the tarmac on his arrival at Gatwick Airport in 1982 -
Terry Waite at Gatwick Airport with released hostage Robin Plummer and his family in 1985. Plummer's release from Libya was negotiated by Waite -
Richard Branson in the cabin of a Virgin hot air balloon at Gatwick Airport before it was taken to its starting point in Sussex for its record Atlantic crossing in 1987 -
Team GB at Gatwick Airport after arriving home from the 2004 Olympics in Greece -
Aircraft at the Southern Terminal of Gatwick Airport in 2009 -
An empty departures lounge at Gatwick Airport in 2010, as passengers faced a sixth day of airport closures due to volcanic ash from Iceland -
A family look at the arrivals board during the 2013 Christmas period -
Border Force official Claire Chapman and her sniffer dog Pip check luggage arriving at Gatwick Airport in 2014 -
Deserted check-in desks in the North Terminal at Gatwick Airport during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 -
Passengers queue at Gatwick Airport as electronic passport gates fail across the UK in 2023
The union has committed to making further announcements on the GGS decision soon, including whether strikes planned from Friday, August 4 to Tuesday, August 8 would proceed.
Pay agreement comes after travel chaos at Gatwick
Cancellations and delays at London's Gatwick Airport left thousands of passengers stranded earlier this week.
Up to 11,000 people were affected due to adverse weather and staff shortages, resulting in the cancellation of more than 70 flights.
Unexpected thunderstorms across Europe coupled with air-traffic control staff shortages led to one-tenth of flights being cancelled within 24 hours.
