"We need a London Living Wage” Aviation staff tell GMB Congress
“We need a London Living Wage” Aviation staff tell GMB Congress.
Our members at airports are overworked, exhausted and must come to work sick as they can't afford to lose a shift
Low pay, long hours, furlough and Brexit have caused severe staff shortages across the London Airports.
The chaos we are still seeing around our airports today is no fault of the workers. These low-paid staff have taken pay cuts and are being denied decent pay increases to allow them to survive. They continue to work under pressure working back-to-back shifts because they can’t afford to turn that down so they can earn enough to keep the wolf from the door say GMB.
Unions consistently warned companies of the consequence of the thousands of furloughed airport workers being made redundant and who left the sector for higher-paid jobs and have not returned to the industry, but that warning fell on deaf ears.
GMB – the Union for operations staff at Heathrow, Stansted and City Airports, represent thousands of airport staff in the sector.
The aviation sector has one major problem - most airport staff are earning just £10 an hour. These workers have suffered horrendous job cuts, threats to terms and conditions, imposed pay reductions of 10% up to 20% to basic pay by unscrupulous large flagship airlines and sector employers, and in some cases employers including BA “fire and re-hire” practices.
Grahame Parkhouse, GMB rep at Heathrow airport said:
“The aviation sector has long been part of a trend we know as ‘race to the bottom’. Contracts and tenders are offered to airlines at ever lower rates year on year and ultimately our members are suffering as a result.
“Our lowest-paid cleaning and security staff are currently receiving soul-destroying £10 per hour and with no other option than to work extra hours. It’s dangerous and a massive breach of employment rights – but we’re soldiering on to keep the wolf from the door.”
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Contact:
GMB London Region Press Office 079 6744 0297, 079 7001 9643 London.press@gmb.org.uk
