‘No food or drink’ threat for Gatwick flights during planned catering workers strike

Around 100 workers will walk out across three weekends

(Getty Images)

Strikes by catering staff in the coming month will leave passengers flying from Gatwick Airport with easyJet and Tui unable to purchase food and drinks on board, the union behind the action has claimed.

Announcing a series of walkouts, Unite said the strikes by Dnata Catering staff was due to the company’s “unilateral removal of a shift allowance” for all workers last April.

It said that this has led to all Dnata’s workers receiving a pay cut of between £1,500 and £2,000 a worker.

Around 100 workers, including HGV drivers and warehouse workers, will strike from Friday 26 April to Monday 29 April, from Friday 3 May to Monday 6 May and from Friday 10 May to Monday 13 May.

Unite warned that strike action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved.

The Emirates Group-owned firm has been accused by the union of falsely claiming that Unite agreed to the removal as part of a deal that saw the introduction of a night shift premium.

“Our members have run out of a patience with Dnata’s double-dealing and blatant dishonesty. Ending the shift allowance in return for a night premium was never part of the deal and the company knows that,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

“Unite never accepts attacks on our members’ jobs, pay or conditions and Dnata’s workers have their union’s total backing during these strikes.”

Dnata caters for all easyJet flights from Gatwick, with the airline having 200 flights a day during busy periods, meaning there will no food or drink available on any of the airlines’ flights from the airport between those dates.

Unite says that the lack of food and drink will affect easyJet’s revenue, with the sale of snacks and beverages on flights a major income generator.

Other flights will also be impacted as Dnata caters for several other Gatwick-based airlines, including Tui.

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “We are aware of the Unite announcement related to proposed industrial action by their members working at Dnata and would like to reassure customers we will be working with Dnata to ensure contingency plans are in place for these dates should this action take place. We urge Dnata and Unite to reach an agreement as soon as possible.”

The Independent has contacted Dnata and Tui for comment.