Almost 1,000 workers at Gatwick Airport, including baggage handlers and check-in staff, are to strike in a dispute over pay.
Members of Unite employed by four private contractors will walk out for four days from July 28 and again for four days from August 4.
The union said the action will “inevitably” cause disruption to flights at the height of the summer holiday season.
Those involved in the dispute are employed by ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services, which conduct outsourced operations for airlines including ground handling, baggage handling, ramp agent, dispatchers, and check-in.
Unite said it has been in negotiations with the four companies since January but claimed they have failed to make offers that meets the workers’ expectations.
The union’s general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members at Gatwick Airport undertake incredibly demanding roles and are essential to keeping the airport and airlines working, yet their employers somehow think it is acceptable to pay them a pittance.
“As part of Unite’s unyielding focus on the jobs, pay and condition of its members, the union has drawn a line in the sand and is committed to eradicating the scourge of low pay at the airport.”
