LONDON- The dnata catering staff across key UK airports, including London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow, London City, Stansted, Bristol, and Birmingham, are voting on potential strike action.
This will cause disruptions to onboard food and beverage services for passengers on both long- and short-haul flights.
UK Airports Catering Worker Strike
Over 700 dnata employees, responsible for food production, warehouse operations, and delivery services, are protesting against what they claim are unconsulted changes to their employment terms and conditions. These proposed alterations have sparked discontent among the workforce, leading to the decision to vote for industrial action.
If the strike proceeds, major airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair, TUI, British Airways, Emirates, American Airlines, and Air India will face significant operational impacts, potentially affecting passenger services at the involved airports.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham has voiced firm support for the workers, stating, “Dnata’s attempts to bypass its workers and force through damaging changes to terms and conditions will not be tolerated. Unite’s dnata members have their union’s full and unflinching support in fighting its underhand attempts to impose these plans.”
dnata Refuses to Talk
Dnata is pushing forward plans to modify employee rostering, variable working hours, annualized hours, seasonal schedules, absence management, and leave allocation without consulting Unite, the union representing dnata workers.
The dispute has led to a ballot for industrial action, opening this week and closing on December 5. Should workers vote for strikes, walkouts could disrupt services over the Christmas period.
Unite’s national officer for aviation, Balvinder Bir, warned of serious repercussions for airlines operating at eight major UK airports, placing responsibility solely on dnata’s refusal to negotiate. “There is still time to avoid industrial action,” Bir stated, “but this requires dnata to engage in meaningful negotiations with Unite about these proposed changes.”
Affected airports and airlines:
- Birmingham airport: Emirates, TUI, easyJet, Ryanair, and Air India
- Bristol Airport: easyJet, TUI, and Ryanair
- Gatwick Airport: easyJet, TUI, and Emirates
- Glasgow Airport: easyJet, Emirates, and British Airways
- Heathrow Airport: Emirates, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, China Air, Southern China, Air India, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, and Kenya Airways
- London City Airport: British Airways
- Manchester Airport: easyJet, Ryanair, Emirates, TUI, Air Lingus, Singapore Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines
- Stansted: Ryanair, TUI, and Emirates
Unite, the UK’s and Ireland’s largest union led by General Secretary Sharon Graham continues to support dnata workers in opposing changes to their work conditions.
dnata Official Remarks
dnata Catering & Retail UK spokesperson reached out to Aviation A2Z and told us,
Despite our continuous efforts to reach a fair solution, Unite has rejected our reasonable proposals to enhance wages and conditions and initiated a ballot for industrial action.
We have already implemented and paid a salary increase to our team to address cost-of-living pressures and recognise their contributions to the company. Our current, competitive offer is in line with market conditions, reflecting industry standards and comparable roles in the sector.”
The spokesperson further added,
We are surprised and disappointed by the union’s recent statement claiming we are changing terms and conditions without consultation, which is entirely
inaccurate.
We have consistently sought to engage in constructive discussions with the union throughout the negotiation process.
We remain open to further dialogue and are committed to achieving an agreement that serves the interests of all parties and ensures the sustainability of our organisation.”
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