Strike to hit London Airports

London's Gatwick and Stansted airports are to be hit by strike action later this month as baggage handlers, check-in workers and security scanners walk out in disputes over pay.

Employees of Grupo Ferrovial SA's Swissport International AG unit will stage two 24-hour stoppages at both airports on Aug. 25 and 29, the Unite and GMB trade unions say. Security-scanner operators at Stansted will also strike Aug. 25 over a separate pay claim, the GMB said.

Gatwick is Britain's second-busiest airport, attracting nearly 35 million passengers a year, and Stansted is fourth busiest, with almost 24 million.

The action against Swissport will affect at least 12 of the 79 airlines at Gatwick, together with Ryanair Holdings Plc and EasyJet Plc at Stansted, the unions said, while the scanner dispute will limit Stansted passengers to hand baggage only, according to the GMB.

Source: The Calgary Herald