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We don’t mean to alarm you, but as of today (December 11) Christmas is exactly two weeks away. That means any final gifts, cards, or travel plans need to be sorted imminently, but for some of the millions of people leaving London for the holidays there might be a little bit more disruption than expected.
Hundreds of easyJet staff members at Luton airport are planning to strike on some of the busiest travel days of the year, due to an unresolved pay dispute. The Unite union confirmed earlier this week that around 200 baggage handlers and check-in staff will walk out if an agreement is not reached, causing disruption to passengers on some of the busiest travel days of the year.
There is still time for a deal to be reached and the strike to be called off, and we will update this page if that happens. For now, here’s everything you need to know about the Luton airport strikes that could impact you this Christmas.
When are Luton staff going on strike?
Workers are set to walk out for a total of six days this December, bookending Christmas. There will be two periods of three day-long walkouts, which will be:
- 3am on December 19 - 3am on December 22
- 3am on December 26 - 3am on December 29
These are expected to be some of the busiest travel days of the year, on what some experts are predicting will be the highest-traffic Christmas period on record.
Which flights and airlines will be impacted?
The staff walking out work for easyJet, so it will primarily be easyJet flights and check-in that is affected. Unite union estimates that across the six days of industrial action 410 easyJet flights will be delayed or cancelled.
Other airlines will not be impacted by cancellations, but general delays caused by a lack of staff could cause knock-on effects within the airport.
Easyjet says that it plans to ‘work closely with the airport’ to develop a ‘robust contingency plan’. A spokesperson for DHL, the company that employs the striking staff members, says that it is working to ‘minimise any potential disruption’.
Why are there strikes at Luton?
Easyjet’s check-in and baggage staff are employed by DHL and then contracted out to the airline. Those working at Luton airport say that they are paid £3 less per hour than their DHL colleagues at Gatwick airport doing the same jobs, and are arguing for pay increases which adequately address the cost-of-living crisis.
Unite union says that DHL can ‘comfortably’ afford the pay rise it is asking for, but the company argues that the increase it has offered is already above inflation and that it is ‘deeply disappointed’ to see the strikes go ahead.
Can I get compensation if a flight is affected by strikes?
The general rule is that if the striking staff are employed by an airline you are entitled to compensation, whereas if they are employed by the airport you are not. This instance is a bit of a grey area, however it is likely that a claim would be denied as DHL is the main employer in this instance, and easyJet is just loaning out their services.
Basically, if your flight is delayed or cancelled due to these strikes it is worth filing a claim, but you might not receive any money in the end.
However if your flight is cancelled, easyJet is responsible for providing an alternative, and paying for any hotel fees if it’s the next day. You should also be provided with food vouchers for the airport if your flight is delayed more than two hours for any reason.
If the flight is delayed for more than five hours you may be entitled to cancel and get a full refund, but be aware that this means the airline no longer has to find you a replacement travel route.
You can find out more about your rights here.
Are there any other airport strikes I should be aware of?
There aren’t any other walkouts scheduled for UK airports this December, but there is some disruption across Europe. Here are all of the upcoming strikes in Europe you need to know about.
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