Threat of T5 summer strike looms large
July 21, 2008Key staff members working at Heathrow Terminal 5 are considering going on strike this summer, The Mirror has claimed.
Baggage handlers at the newly launched £4.3 billion facility are reported to have complained to their union about poor management practices, which they say hinge on "fear and intimidation".
Numerous workers are said to be unhappy with airport bosses' alleged unwillingness to listen to concerns about ongoing problems with the baggage handling system.
The state-of-the-art system was billed as the flagship piece of technology at Terminal 5, but quickly became a source of ridicule after it broke down on its first day of use in March.
That debacle saw a total of 30,000 suitcases going missing and irrevocably sullied T5's reputation - something which Gary Pearce of the GMB union said his members are keen to avoid a repeat of.
"Morale among the baggage handlers is at rock bottom," he asserted. "Many have tried to raise concerns with senior management about the way they are being treated by their supervisors, but managers don't want to listen."
Pearce continued: "Obviously the last thing travellers or bosses at the airport want is a strike, but our talks with management have not got anywhere and this is the only option open to us."
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