Catering workers from global air services company Dnata have voted to strike, and it is possible that aircraft will not be able offer food or drinks onboard during short-haul flights and long-haul flights over Christmas.
Strike action is being balloted for by more than 700 Dnata employees who provide food to airlines at Heathrow Gatwick Glasgow London City Stansted Bristol Manchester Birmingham airports.
Workers on production lines, in warehouses and at delivery points are concerned about what they believe is an attempt by their employers to change their conditions of employment without consulting them.
Unite, a union, said that if strikes took place, they would affect major airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair.
Ten airlines manage their catering at London Heathrow Airport, the UK’s largest airport.
Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham stated: “Dnata will not tolerate its attempts to bypass workers and force through damaging terms and conditions.” Unite members who are Dnata have the union’s unwavering support as they fight against Dnata’s underhanded attempts to impose its plans.
The union claimed that Dnata refused to consult Unite about plans which could negatively impact the way rostering, seasonal work, variable hours, annualised working, absence management, and annual leave allocation are conducted.
The ballot for industrial action opened this week, and closes on 5 December. Strikes could be scheduled during the Christmas holiday period.
Balvinder Bir, Unite’s national aviation officer, said that strikes would have a severe impact on major airlines in eight UK airports. “Dnata is entirely responsible for this.” It is possible to avoid industrial action, but Dnata will need to enter into meaningful negotiations with Unite regarding the changes that it is proposing.
A spokesperson for Dnata Catering and Retail UK said: “Despite all our efforts to find a fair solution Unite has rejected reasonable proposals to improve wages and conditions, and initiated a ballot to take industrial action.
“We’ve already paid our team a salary raise to help them cope with the cost of living and to recognize their contribution to the business. Our current competitive offer reflects market conditions and reflects industry standards as well as comparable roles within the sector. “We are disappointed and surprised by the recent union statement that claimed we were changing terms and condition without consultation. This is completely inaccurate.”
The company added that it was open to further discussion and committed to reaching an agreement.
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