The GMB London branch says after a “long hard struggle” to gain ground with Menzies Aviation it has made some headway into improving members’ terms and conditions.
GMB, the union for staff working at Menzies who carry out ground handling at Heathrow Airport, have settled a pay dispute with the company following a nine-month battle.
Two years ago GMB entered into talks regarding pay and conditions with Menzies Aviation. The outcome was a pay award forced upon GMB members, despite resoundingly rejecting the pay offer with a massive 97 per cent majority.
Since then GMB said it has advised Menzies to resolve the situation through ACAS, but this was rejected by the company.
That the union said then led to a consultative strike ballot by members, which resulted overwhelmingly in favour of an official industrial action ballot. Eventually the threat of strike action lead to Menzies sitting down with GMB which led to some issues being resolved.
GMB has now secured members one extra day of leave after three years, six years, nine years, and 12 years’ service, which will be backdated meaning that employees on Menzies contracts can attain the extra days leave which they have earnt on their next anniversary of employment.
The union said it has also secured a working agreement to review and attain several other benefits for staff, including sickness benefit and skill payments. Menzies Aviation has set out a timeline to resolve and implement these actions by 31 January 2020.
GMB regional organiser, Trevlyn McLeod said: “It has been a long hard struggle to gain ground with Menzies, but we are happy to say we have made some headway into improving our members’ terms and conditions.
“Our members felt that Menzies offer devalued the workforce and was an insult to all the staff affected and was agreed despite a 97 per cent rejection. 3.5 per cent and three per cent over two years is not ample reward for the daily and duress staff are forced to continually operate under.”
