Threat of festive flights disruption at Luton airport averted

A last-ditch pay offer has been put forward to avert further strikes which threatened to disrupt festive flights from Luton airport.

Members of the Unite union who work for DHL on an outsourced contract for easyJet as baggage handlers and check-in staff were due to walk out from Boxing Day until December 28.

Strike action for those dates has now been halted to allow members to be balloted on the revised pay deal.

The improved pay offer has been put forward to the 200 workers involved in the dispute following talks between Unite, DHL and the conciliation service Acas.

The staff involved in the dispute had previously walked out for three days from December 19 after rejecting a 4.5% pay rise.

Unite regional officer Jeff Hodge said: "Following negotiations, DHL returned to the table with an improved offer to our members. 

“We’ve suspended strike action to allow them to have their say on whether to accept it.”

EasyJet had insisted that it had contingency plans in place to minimise any disruption should strikes go ahead.