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Thomas Cook disputes cabin crew strike claims
Thomas Cook Airlines is disputing union claims that it has changed its policy on cabin crew break allowances.
The Unite union says bosses have made ‘dangerous’ changes to rest breaks and crew are now allowed a 20-minute break every 11 hours 59 minutes, when the previous entitlement was a 20-minute break every six hours.
Unite is balloting its members and says more than 1,000 cabin crew are threatening industrial action, which could disrupt flights during the busy May bank holiday week.
However, the airline says its crew break procedure has not changed since it was introduced in 2014 with the agreement with the unions. A spokesman told TravelMole cabin crew are still entitled to at least a 20 minute break every six hours. Furthermore, contrary to what Unite says, the airline claims it is happy to talk.
Unite claims cabin crew are ‘being pushed to the limit’ as the airline tries to maximise profits, which in turn is putting passenger safety at risk.
The union says pressure on Thomas Cook crew had increased since the airline introduced an ‘Airshoppen’ service, allowing passengers to pre-order duty free online to be delivered to their seats.
Cabin crew have to sort and bag the orders prior to take off, deliver it to passengers onboard and collect payment. Unite claims the service takes up to two hours to deliver.
A spokesperson for the airline said: "Nothing matters to us more than safety. It’s regrettable the union has chosen this path because the crew rest procedure, which includes monitoring all crew rest on all flights, was introduced with the agreement of the union.
"It also meets the regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority and does not compromise on safety.
"We have offered to meet union representatives."
The strike ballot closes on Wednesday May 25 and could lead to industrial action taking place during the forthcoming half-term school holidays, if the situation is not resolved.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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