The Unite union has called a staff strike at Birmingham airport in the UK on 18 July. About 100 workers including security agents and terminal workers will cross their arms. Workers' representatives are calling for a significant salary adjustment and new hires, denouncing the deterioration in the quality of service after two years of substantial cuts. Expected delays on flights of airlines Tui, easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Lufthansa and Emirates, as well as delays at security checkpoints and airport operations. 

"The airport has returned to profitability, but wage cuts are expected for workers who are already on low wages, after previous attacks on their contractual terms. This is completely unacceptable at a time when the cost of living is rising", explained Sharon Graham, secretary general of the Unite trade union.

The unions complain that in 2022 workers received a wage increase of just +2.8% when the real inflation rate was 13.8%. This equates to a -11% pay cut. This year they were offered a +7.75% raise and a one-off payment of £850. However, this is a further wage cut in real terms as inflation is still high at 11.3%.