Relief for Stansted Airport easyJet passengers as check-in staff call off strikes

An industrial dispute by check-in staff which threatened to disrupt easyJet flights for thousands of passengers at Stansted Airport has been resolved.

Unite, Britain and Ireland's largest union, says a 17-day series of strikes – one of which was due to have started on Friday (August 2) – by 43 passenger service agents employed by Stobart Aviation Services Ltd has been called off.

The union said that a package now accepted by workers amounted to a 13% pay rise for most for the year starting April 2019 and recognition of Unite as the trade union for collective bargaining purposes.

Regional officer Mark Barter said: "I am pleased to say that our members have voted to accept a new pay deal for the year starting in April 2019 that amounts to 13% for the majority of the workforce.

"As a result, all the planned strike action has been called off and our members will be working normally assisting passengers in getting away on their summer holidays.

"Our members got a 3% pay rise in April and will now get a further increase which equates to 10% for the vast majority of our members with immediate effect, so this will mean an increase of 13% this year. Fresh pay talks start again in April 2020, so this is only a single-year deal.

"We have also gained a full recognition agreement covering both front-of-house and backroom staff, which means Unite can represent them for trade union collective bargaining purposes."