Bank holiday walkout for Stansted

Baggage handlers at Stansted have announced a strike during the jubilee bank holiday.

Members of the GMB union voted for a series of walk-outs at the Essex airport beginning tomorrow and culminating in a four-day stoppage over the long weekend from 2 to 5 June.

Airport management and the handling company, Swissport, say they expect no disruption. But Ryanair has warned that passengers will not be allowed to check in bags to or from the airport on strike days.

The strike is about changes to staffing rotas announced by Swissport, which the union said would force each employee to work about a dozen extra days a year and lose up to £1,000 in earnings.

Stoppages will take place tomorrow, next weekend, and throughout the jubilee holiday.