There will be delays to flights at London Stansted Airport next week, as over 100 Unite members at ABM have voted for strike action, after a pay offer barely worth a tin of beans. 

They look after passengers with disabilities. Strikes will lead to flight delays, as additional time will be needed to board travellers who need the service.

Unite members have rejected a new pay offer from their employer of just an additional one pence on their hourly rates in the first year and a further two or three pence in the second year.

The pay offer means that workers would have to work an entire week to be able to afford one extra tin of beans.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham: "This is one of the meanest so-called pay rises imaginable. Dedicated workers will have to work for an entire week just to buy a tin of beans.

“It is beyond contempt that a profitable company such as ABM is choosing to prioritise greed and exposing its workers to a real-terms pay cut. Our members at ABM will be fully supported by Unite throughout this dispute.”

Many ABM staff are currently paid below the London Living Wage of £14.80, making them among the lowest paid at Stansted. Minimum wage increases mean that the company’s pay rises to staff have largely come from government increases and have left them falling behind in pay.

Workers at ABM also say they feel under increasing pressure as Stansted now handles more flights and believe they deserve a pay rise that reflects this.

Strikes will take place from 17 to 20 April, after 97 per cent of workers voted to take industrial action.

ABM is a highly profitable global company. In March, it reported that it made $2.2 billion in revenue, an increase of 6.1 per cent on the previous year.

Unite regional officer Steve Edwards said: "Any strike action and the resulting disruption is entirely the fault of ABM for putting profits over people.

"ABM could avoid this disruption but it relies on management coming back with a realistic pay offer that reflects the hard work our members do."

ENDS

For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite press officer Natasha Wynarczyk on 07970081524

Email: natasha.wynarczyk@unitetheunion.org