Ground staff at London City Airport will begin a strike ballot if talks today at conciliation service Acas fail to produce a deal on pay and changes to rosters.
The ground staff, members of the GMB union, work for agency employer Aviation Resources at London City, providing check-in and other services for CityJet and its parent carrier Air France-KLM.
The GMB blamed CityJet for the dispute and said a vote in favour of action would lead to a strike or strikes in March. Its members at Aviation Resources have already voted 97% for a strike in a consultative ballot.
GMB organiser Stephanie Attwood accused CityJet management of bullying and of refusing to negotiate with the union. She said: “CityJet’s behaviour is from another era. It is only a matter of time before the balloon goes up.”
No one from CityJet was available to comment.
The carrier, a subsidiary of Air France-KLM, operates from London City to Amsterdam, Paris Orly, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Milan, Florence and other destinations on the Continent, as well as to Edinburgh, Dundee and Dublin.