Bournemouth Airport Faces Potential Shutdown as Staff Ballot for Strike Action
Bournemouth Airport is staring down the barrel of serious disruption, with a full-scale shutdown looming as nearly 80 frontline workers are balloting for strike action.
Check-in agents. Baggage handlers. Plane fuellers. Security teams. Dispatchers. All could walk off the job if current talks fail to deliver a breakthrough.
The strike threat, driven by an escalating pay dispute, could cripple the UK-based airport as early as the first week of September.
Workers, represented by Unite the Union, have rejected a pay offer from the airport’s management. The deal proposed a 4.5% rise for the lowest-paid staff, bringing their hourly wage to £12.22, and a 3% rise for those on higher pay bands.
Staff aren’t buying it. With inflation and household costs soaring, many say the offer amounts to a real-terms pay cut.
They’re not alone in their frustration. “Bournemouth Airport is putting its own interests over those of the workers,” said Sharon Graham, Unite’s General Secretary.
“We appreciate it is investing in its future, but members must not be left behind in the pursuit of that. Our hardworking members deserve a fair pay rise and Unite will back them every step of the way.”
The airport has recently raised its own service charges by 5% and poured over £50 million into expansion projects, a clear sign, union reps argue, that the company can afford to pay staff more.
Frustrations have reached boiling point. “We recognise that any flight cancellations and delays would be extremely disruptive and frustrating for travellers but our members feel they have had no choice but to start balloting for strike action,” said Janet Wall, Unite’s Regional Officer.
“This is entirely the fault of the employer, who is financially prospering while our members struggle to afford the basics.”
The ballot is currently underway and will close on Wednesday, 20 August. If workers vote in favour, the walkout could take place just weeks later.
Unite is urging airport bosses to return to the negotiating table with a more substantial offer. So far, the airport says discussions are continuing.
“We are in ongoing negotiations in good faith with Unite and remain hopeful that we can work constructively with them to reach agreement,” said a spokesperson from Bournemouth Airport.
“We remain committed to keeping Bournemouth Airport as a vital economic asset for the region, our customers and for the people who work there now and in the future.”
For now, uncertainty looms. Travellers with flights booked in September may want to keep an eye on developments, fast.
