Tour operator Monarch faces prospect of strike action at
the height of the holiday season
24 May 2009
Monarch, the UK's third largest tour operator, faces the
prospect of a crippling strike at the height of the holiday
season.
Unite, Britain's biggest civil aviation union, is preparing to
ballot over 600 cabin crew members over the company's failure to
agree a pay increase this year for cabin crew.
A vote to take action will see strikes held across the company
in July, and will affect Monarch's bases at Gatwick, Birmingham,
Manchester, Edinburgh, Luton and Dublin.
Unite accepts that the economic downturn has hit the civil
aviation industry hard, and that Monarch Airlines is experiencing a
difficult trading period. In recognition of this, the union
has put forward proposals to allow a deferral of any pay increases
for the 2008-9 period in return for a lump sum payment which
is in line with discussions being held with other industry
competitors,
However, the company has shown no desire to engage in further
discussion, leaving Unite with no alternative but to ballot members
for industrial action.
Unite is calling for:
- A lump sum cash payment in recognition of the time which has
elapsed from the original anniversary date of the pay claim,
October 1st, 2008.
- The introduction of a set rate of sector pay (a cash allowance
for being on flight duty) for all cabin crew from 1st January 2010.
Pilots at the airline have negotiated sector pay.
Agreement on these issues would, Unite says, facilitate discussion
on the deferral of the pay anniversary date, which in turn would
ease pressures on the company during these testing economic
times.
Unite's national officer for aviation, Brian Boyd, said:
“Monarch faces the prospect of a crippling strike at the height of
the holiday season.
"The requests of our members are reasonable and are in line with
similar negotiations with other industry operators. They represent
a practical compromise given the prevailing circumstances..
“Unite is urging Monarch to come back to the negotiating table
and work with us to avert damaging industrial action.
“There is no doubt the aviation sector is experiencing difficult
times, all the more reason for Monarch to work with Unite to find a
practical solution to this dispute.”
To add to the frustrations of the cabin crew at Monarch, pilots
at the airline have negotiated sector pay, a cash
allowance for being on flight duty.
While Unite readily acknowledges the professionalism of the
pilot group, it sees no reason why sector pay should not apply to
both pilots and cabin crew. Proposals from Unite to introduce
sector pay for cabin crew at an agreed future date have also been
dismissed by the company.
ENDS
For further information contact Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931
315
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