BRITS travelling through Gatwick Airport are warned that they could face travel disruption due to strikes this August.
Over 130 security workers have announced the industrial action over poverty pay, which is set to take place during the peak travel period.
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The staff members involved are employed by ICTS (UK) to scan passengers’ luggage for explosive materials and other dangerous and prohibited items.
They were one of two groups of workers at Gatwick who were voting on the industrial action over poverty pay rates last month.
The workers are paid £8.50 an hour for the work at the moment and are demanding an increase of 50p an hour to match the real living wage of £9 an hour.
In a new statement, their representatives Unite have said that 95 per cent of those workers have voted for strike action.
The strike will be for 48 hours from 6am on Saturday August 10.
Unite regional officer Jamie Major said: “ICTS workers have an incredibly responsible security role scanning the luggage of every single passenger on every single aeroplane that flies out of Gatwick Airport.
“It is a very security sensitive job to ensure the safety of the travelling public, yet the majority of these workers are paid less than £9 an hour, which is not enough to live on in the expensive south east of England, with its sky high housing costs.
“Security and safety should be the absolute top priorities and yet these workers feel undervalued, demotivated and fed up of working for an employer that doles out poverty wages.”
He added: “The strike will mean passengers will inevitably experience delays and a poorer service, but this is now in the hands of ICTS bosses and the management of Gatwick Airport.”
Unite also balloted members employed by outsourcing giants ISS.
These workers are involved in maintaining the facilities at Gatwick airport, for example making sure that toilets have the appropriate materials, as well as helping with moving luggage and rearranging furniture.
The details of the ballot and any potential strikes have yet to be announced.
STRUCK OUT Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airport strikes set to cause delays and disruptions for Brits this summer
A Gatwick spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: “We have been reassured by ICTS that the mitigation plans in place mean that flights will not be impacted at Gatwick.
“In the interests of our passengers, we continue to encourage both sides in this dispute to work towards a resolution.”
A company spokesperson for ICTS previously told Sun Online Travel: “We would like to reassure the travelling public that they should not expect disruption as a result of the proposed industrial action.
“Robust contingency plans are in place. We will continue to work with our staff and the Union to reach an agreement.”
Will I get my money back if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
If your flight is cancelled, you have the legal right to either a full refund within seven days or a replacement flight to your destination.
This applies for whatever reason your flight was cancelled or how long before you were told it would no longer be be flying.
If your flight is delayed by three hours or more and you were flying to or from a European airport, or with an EU-based airline such as Ryanair or British Airways.
Then you can claim compensation up to €250 (£229) for short-haul flights and €400 (£367) for mid-haul flights and €600 (£530) for long-haul flights.
But the airline might not payout if it’s out of their control, for example, due to bad weather or strikes.
This isn’t the only strike that could affect Brits this summer.
BA pilots have just confirmed a strike this August.
Sun Online Travel has contacted Gatwick and ICTS for comment.
