Holiday chaos fears

Holidaymakers face chaos this summer after baggage handlers and check-in staff voted to strike.

Workers at 17 airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, will take action "within weeks" in a dispute over pay, said union leaders.

The threat comes less than two weeks before schools break up and could result in long delays and misery for tens of thousands of families. The strike decision follows a ballot of staff at the TGWU union, with 85 per cent voting to take action. It follows a similar decision last month by another union, the GMB, which also represents baggage handling staff.

Both have rejected a 2.5 per cent offer from airport services group Aviance. Last-ditch talks to avoid a strike are to be held on Wednesday. The airlines that will be affected include the British carrier BMI as well as Lufthansa, Iberia, Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines. However, British Airways and the lowcost airlines are not thought to be directly affected.

TUnions complain of a combination of low pay and rising workloads as the number of people flying continues to rise.

Basic wages range from £12,000 a year for check-in staff to £16,000 for baggage handlers. Aviance is owned by major stock marketquoted transport group Go-Ahead, which also operates train and bus services.

Brendan Gold, the TGWU national secretary for civil aviation, said: "This is a resounding vote by our members which sends a clear signal to Aviance that they must improve on the offer. " The talks this Wednesday will now take on an added significance."

The union said a more realistic offer "is both affordable and right".