Stansted Airport strikes this weekend have been suspended while staff working for easyJet vote on new deal
IT’S good news for easyJet passengers flying from London Stansted this weekend as the strikes that were meant to start from tomorrow have been called off.
Instead, staff involved in the strike would be given the weekend to vote on a new deal.
The 43 staff members involved work on the easyJet check-in desk and are employed by Stobart.
Their union representatives, Unite, announced a 17-day strike earlier this month, which was due to start on Thursday.
The first day of the strikes was suspended earlier in the week while staff vote on an improved pay offer, but planned industrial action for the weekend was still set to go ahead.
But now Unite has said that the all the strikes planned this weekend have been suspended.
Unite regional officer Mark Barter said: “We had positive talks with the company today, under the auspices of Acas, and the outcome was that a revised pay offer has been put on the table.
“To give our members the opportunity to consider and to ballot on this offer we have suspended the 72 hour strike that was due to start at 03.30 tomorrow (Friday) and to end at 03.29 on Monday (29 July). Our members will be working normally this weekend.
“Today’s new offer comes after our members had rejected a previous pay offer earlier this week. We won’t be revealing the details of the revised offer until our members have voted on it.”
There are also strike dates planned for August and are set to take place August 2 to 5; August 9 to 12; August 16 to 19; and August 23 to 27.
The agents, who are employed by Stobart Aviation Services, voted unanimously for a strike after a ballot earlier this month.
A spokesperson for easyJet previously told Sun Online Travel: “We are pleased the proposed industrial action by Stobart Aviation check in staff at London Stansted Airport on 25 June has been suspended and that a deal is being balloted.”
Graeme Undy, Managing Director of Stobart Aviation Services, told Sun Online Travel earlier this week: “We have worked hard, alongside Unite, to secure the best outcome for our people, our customers and our airline partners.”
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.
The Stansted strike wasn’t the only one called off.
This weekend’s strikes at Heathrow Airport have also been suspended after a new deal was offered.
But similarly, until a deal is agreed, dates planned for August will still go ahead.
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British Airways pilots have also voted for strike action.
However, the dates haven’t been confirmed yet as the airline is hoping to block the strike in court.
Ryanair pilots are also voting on whether or not to strike this summer with Portuguese cabin crew for the airline already confirmed to strike.