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UPDATED: Easyjet Workers Threaten Summer Strike

26th June 2006 In a report by news agency Retuers, unions at budget airline easyJet said they had reached an agreement with management over cabin crew wages for three years and would recommend the deal to their members.

The Transport and General Workers' Union and Amicus said in a joint statement that the deal called for a 4 percent pay increase in the current financial year, 3.25 percent next year and up to 3 percent in the third year.

Cabin crew will also receive a bonus equivalent to approximately two weeks' pay, depending on performance, it said.

"Members will now be balloted on the agreement, which is being recommended by the union," the statement said.

The TGWU has more than 1,400 members at easyJet and Amicus has just over 200.

The deal would apply to some 2,200 cabin crew.

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Original Story Issued: Thursday 11th May 2006
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Easyjet Workers Threaten Summer Strike

More than 1,500 cabin crew at low cost carrier easyJet will vote on whether to strike this summer over a pay dispute, the Transport & General Workers Union has said.

The T&G said any strike would likely begin in six weeks, the peak of the busy summer travel period, if staff voted for industrial action.

The union said it had decided to ballot staff within the next two weeks after long-running talks on a two-year wage deal collapsed.

However, easyJet said it had gone direct to about 2,000 cabin crew with a two-year pay offer and accused the union was stirring up speculation about industrial action.

"We are particularly disappointed that the T&G has chosen to stir-up unnecessary and damaging speculation on industrial action," Chief Executive Andy Harrison said in a statement.

EasyJet said it had offered cabin crew a 3.5 percent pay rise for the current fiscal year to end-September and a bonus of 2 percent. Next year it promised a further 3 percent pay rise.

About 1,500 of the 2,000 cabin crew were union members.

The T&G said the wage offer was inferior to a recent package offered to pilots.

"We have shown a readiness to be flexible in our demands, but the company is now indicating that it is no longer interested in negotiating," T&G negotiator John Street said in a statement.

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