Luton Airport pay row

Workers at London Luton Airport are up in arms over a pay offer which is almost half the rate of inflation despite sky high increases for the bosses and record passenger numbers.

The latest financial statements showed that the directors remuneration increased 59 per cent and the highest paid director received an increase of 48 per cent.

Following months of negotiations the company have offered to increase workers’ pay by just 2.15 per cent at a time when the Retail Price Index (RPI) is up by 4 per cent.

Furious workers are warning that unless the company makes a substantial improvement, an industrial action ballot could get underway.

There are 750 people employed by LLA, working in areas including security staff, engineers, fire services, finance, administration and passenger services.  The workforce believe they deserve a fairer share of the profits they helped deliver.

Sky-high profits

Luton Airport has delivered an increase in turnover of 10.8 per cent to ÂŁ163m; an increase in pre-tax profits to ÂŁ44m; and a rise in profit generated per employee of 9.6 per cent.

The airport welcomed 15.8 million passengers in 2017, marking an 8.6 per cent increase compared with the previous year and making 2017 the airport’s busiest year on record.

“The workers at Luton airport are justifiably up in arms,”  said Unite regional officer Jeff Hodge. “They are being offered a pay cut in real terms when the airport’s bosses have enriched themselves with sky high pay increases.

“Turnover is up, company profits are up and passenger numbers are up but the workers on the front line are being given a pay cut. London Luton Airport must now recognise the contribution the workforce make to the success of the business.”

Unite representatives at Luton have used the union’s powerful online tool to support their campaign for a fair share of company profits. Unite’s new online tool will mean that in just a few minutes, union reps can generate a professional pay claim.

At the click of a mouse the tool allows union reps to gather the latest up-to-date information from Companies House, the Office for National Statistics and the union’s own database containing the details of tens of thousands of pay deals.

The Pay Claim Generator was designed as part of Unite’s industrial strategy entitled Work, Voice, Pay which is about empowering union members by giving them the tools and support in the workplace to help them win at work.

Unite is a union that campaigns for and delivers better pay and conditions for its members. Unite is winning at work based on three core values. Secure Work: fighting for jobs and job security, Strong Voice: a union which is a respected voice at work and Decent Pay: a union focussed on pay and conditions.