Workers go on strike to leverage labor power and bargain with their employers, which often leads to a complete halt in the business for a specific number of days. When airline workers strike, carriers not only have to bear the brunt of furious travelers but also quickly sort out labor negotiations.

Currently, workers at London’s Gatwick International Airport and Heathrow International Airport are threatening to strike in disputes over inadequate pay. Last year, Gatwick Airport Limited proposed a three-year deal that would have seen workers receive a pay increase of 2% along with £250 for the first two years. For the third year, the workers would receive a pay hike in line with the consumer price index inflation rate plus £250. 

Unite, the second-largest trade union in the UK stated that the three-year deal was acceptable for starters which would pay a new employee up to up to £7,000 per annum, which is lesser than the amount paid to an old staff undertaking the same role. Gatwick Airport has employed over 2000 Unite members as security, staff, firefighters, terminal operators, engineers and surface transport workers. Surprisingly, around 98% of the members voted to reject the three-year deal.

Early this month, Gatwick Airport reported a profit of £137 million for a period of six months. Unite stated, “The airport is fantastically profitable as a result of the hard work of our members and they believe they should be properly rewarded for their hard work and loyalty.” The trade union has decided to hold a meeting with the airport authorities in order to negotiate. In case, the authorities do not improvise the deal, Unite will ballot its members on strike action. 

In response to the remarks by Unite, a Gatwick spokesperson stated that they are keen to reach an agreement in order to make sure the passengers do not get affected at any point.

On the other hand, baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport, employed by Global Baggage Solutions, have planned a strike after rejecting a pay deal which, otherwise, would have increased their pay by 32 pence an hour. The eight-day strike will be held on two phases; the first strike will be held from February 2 to 5 while the second strike will be from February 22 to 25. 

Unite’s Regional Officer Clare Keogh said, “Heathrow passengers need to be aware that if their baggage is mislaid, it could disappear forever while our members are on strike. Our members will no longer accept low pay and this dispute is completely a result of the refusal by Global Baggage Solutions to negotiate.”

The union demands that the employees be paid the basic wage of £10.75 an hour which subsequently increases for experienced members. The workers have planned the strike as a last resort as they are struggling to survive on a measly pay. In addition, Clare stated that the strike can be averted if the organization makes a realistic pay offer.

Apart from these two strikes, the Unite members at London’s Heathrow Airport, employed by Vanderlande Industries are planning to start a separate strike in disputes over pay. Unite represents at least 80 Vanderlande workers who are responsible for loading freight on and off planes of International Airlines Group (IAG) comprising British Airways, Air Lingus, Iberia Brands, and others. These Gatwick and Heathrow strikes will result in widespread disruption at the airport. 

British Airways will be affected the most owing to the upcoming Gatwick and Heathrow strikes as the carrier’s main hub is Heathrow Airport. Last year, British Airways’ pilots staged a strike for 48 hours; it is the first strike in the carrier’s 100-year history. The strike led to at least 1700 flight cancellations, affecting nearly 300,000 passengers. British Airways faced around $100 million in losses owing to the strike. 

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The Queen will Celebrate 500^th Anniversary of the Postal Service 

April 21 is Queen Elizabeth’s 90^th birthday. On the eve of turning 90, she will visit the Royal Mail Windsor delivery office to celebrate the 500^th anniversary of the postal service. In the morning of April 21, she will inaugurate the construction of a 4-mile Queen’s Walkway at the foot of Castle Hill, which will interlink 63 points of interest in Windsor commemorating her achievement in being the longest-reigning British monarch.

The Queen will Celebrate her 90^th Birthday & Host Barack Obama

In the evening of April 21, the Queen will celebrate her 90^th birthday by igniting the first in a chain of 1,000 beacons across the country. She will be accompanied by the Royal Family members. It will be followed by a private feast at Windsor Castle. On April 22, the US President Barack Obama will arrive at Windsor Castle as chief guest who the Queen will host for a private luncheon.

The Queen’s 150 Treasured Outfits & Accessories will be Exhibited           

The exhibition of Queen Elizabeth’s dresses and fashion accessories is one of the most glittering events for the Queen’s 90^th birthday celebration. Named Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen’s Wardrobe, the exhibition will commence on April 21 and continue till October 16 at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland. It will coincide with two similar exhibitions: one at the Buckingham Palace from July 23 and the other at the Windsor Castle from September 17, 2016.

Over 150 outfits including gowns and headgears from Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe will be exhibited across the three palaces. The spectacular display of the Queen’s most-treasured outfits, both ceremonial and military, will leaf through the pages of her life from childhood to marriage to coronation to official state visits to foreign trips to parties to the present day. The exhibits also include some of the Majesty’s lavish gowns designed by topnotch British fashion designers such as Sir Norman Hartnell, Ian Thomas and Stewart Parvin.

London’ All Pubs will Remain Open Late till 1 AM

Queen Elizabeth’s 90^th birthday celebration has something great in the offing for boozers. One of the celebration plans including exhibitions, parties and processions, is to extend opening hours of pubs across London from 11 PM to 1 AM on June 10 and 11. Prime Minister David Cameron has already announced it. Pubs in London City were officially allowed to remain open late on previous occasions too, including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebration and weddings in the British royal family.

A Children’s Comic Book on the Queen’s Crown has been Published

Among the surprises of the Queen’s 90^th birthday on April 21 is a brand new children’s comic book that the Royal Collection Trust has published in honor of the Majesty. Written by eminent children’s author Davide Cali, The Birthday Crown is a light-hearted story of the Queen in quest for the perfect crown for her birthday celebration. The 32-page book depicts a special search for the right crown amidst ongoing preparations and plans for the 90^th birthday celebration at the Buckingham Palace, through comic illustrations. The story of The Birthday Crown ends with a paper crown that the Queen’s little grandson has made himself.

May 12 to 15 will See Spectacular Parades & Star performances 

May 12 to 15 will see a grand public celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s 90^th birthday by thousands of participants from across the United Kingdom. The event will be held on May 12, 13, 14 and 15 evenings. The Queen herself will be in attendance for the celebration at The Long Walk on May 14, which will be a 90-minute long spectacle of a grand pageant with 900 horses, 1500 riders and star performers. Many celebrities will walk the red carpet at The Long Walk and greet the Queen on May 15.

All 25000 tickets for May 15’s public event were sold out in November 2015. Even some 5000 tickets have been distributed to those willing to see the 90-minute extravaganza on giant screens which will be installed at parks close to the Windsor Castle. There will be food outlets and picnicking options too.

The curiosity about who will be performing in the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 15 is mounting day by day. An array of eminent stars including Katherine Jenkins, Jess Glynne and Kylie Minogue, James Blunt, Beverly Knight, Alfie Boe, Andrea Bocelli, Jim Carter, Martin Clunes, Jennifer Saunders and Star Wars actor John Boyega from the entertain world is expected to grace the Queen’s 90^th birthday celebration with their glittering presence and electrifying performance.

The Royal Cavalry of the Sultanate of Oman to Perform on May 15

One of the most spectacular events in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s 90^th birthday is a thundering performance by the Royal Cavalry of the Sultanate of Oman, which has been preparing for the extravaganza from May 12 to 15 for past 4 months. The cavalry of 100 horses will travel all the way from Muscat to perform in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and other royal family members.

The Queen to Offer Thanksgiving Service at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 10   

It will be followed by the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 10 among the Queen’s 90^th birthday celebration plans and events. The Service of Thanksgiving will be attended by a congregation of invited guests. It coincides with the Duke of Edinburgh’s 95^th birthday.

The Queen to Travel to and from Buckingham Palace on June 11

The annual celebration of the Queen’s official birthday, which is known as Trooping the Color, falls on June 11 this year. It is also referred to as the Queen’s Birthday Parade, which BBC telecasts live every year. The Queen along with other royal family members and officials travels in carriages to and from the Buckingham Palace. Then she appears in the Buckingham Palace balcony for the public. The parade is rehearsed for a week in advance.

The Queen to Host Patron’s Lunch for Charities at The Mall on June 12

The Queen’s 90^th birthday celebration will culminate in the Patron’s Lunch at The Mall on June 12. The Patron’s Lunch in celebration of the Queen’s birthday is the UK’s biggest street party which transforms The Mall in London into a giant venue for as many as 10,000 guests to be entertained with great food at a picnic-style lunch and street performances. Queen Elizabeth II and Duke Phillip of Edinburgh oversee The Patron’s Lunch from a platform on the Victoria Memorial in front of the Buckingham Palace. Over 600 charities and organizations under the Queen’s patronage are given 9,000 tickets to auction and raise fund for their social services.

A Documentary on the Queen Elizabeth II is Released

The Oxford Film and Television broadcasted a 2-hour long documentary named Our Queen at Ninety on March 27, in advance of the Queen’s 90^th birthday celebration. The documentary features interviews of some key figures in the Queen’s life and the British Royal Family, including her son Prince Charles, daughter-in-law Camilla, grandson Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton of Cambridge.

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