The Independent’s Simon Calder explains staff walk out at London Gatwick airport

The Independent’s Simon Calder explains the staff walk out at London Gatwick airport.

Holidaymakers are being warned to expect “inevitable” disruption from later this month when almost 1,000 staff walk out at Gatwick airport as the busy school summer holidays period is in full swing.

The Unite union says the strikes, across two seuccessive long weekends, will cause “severe delays, disruption and cancellations”.

Unite is targeting two key weekends at the summer peak for the UK’s second-busiest airport. The first walk-out is from Friday 28 July to Tuesday 1 August, with a repeat a week later: Friday 4 August until Tuesday 8 August.

The union says the airlines affected include British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Tui and Wizz Air.

The workers involved are employed by four ground handlers: ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services Ltd. They run check-in, baggage handling and aircraft dispatch.

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