Airport strikes: Talks set to begin Monday

TALKS between Stansted Airport owners BAA and workers who have threatened to go on strike over a “measly” one per cent pay rise are to start on Monday.

Union officials from Unite will join BAA at the negotiating table in a bid to stave off widespread walkouts which will cause Stansted and Heathrow to shut down along with four other UK airports.

The strikes could cause chaos and misery for holidaymakers preparing to jet off for their summer holidays at the end of August.

A BAA spokesperson said: “We look forward to meeting the trade unions at ACAS on Monday and are ready to meet over the weekend or any time that the unions are available.

“We hope that we can quickly conclude an agreement, in the interests of the travelling public, our airlines and our staff, the majority of whom did not vote for a strike.”

Unite said that 75 per cent of workers who voted in a ballot last week agreed to strike in order to force employers into giving them a bigger annual pay rise.

Spokesman Bryan Boyd added that “Unite wants to avoid strikes if at all possible.”