Approximately 1,000 ground staff and baggage handlers working for EasyJet at Gatwick Airport, who are directly employed by logistics organisation DHL, are to receive a two-year pay deal.
The pay offer, which was negotiated with trade union Unite, totals a 7.5% pay rise over the two years. Unite members will additionally receive a £500 bonus each year and an increase in overtime payments, which includes earning double time for working on bank holidays. The organisation’s sick pay policy has also been improved.
The new pay deal means that an average employee is expected to receive a £2,000 increase in pay in the first year of the deal, including the new bonus.
A spokesperson at DHL said: “Working with Unite the Union, we are pleased to have agreed a deal that recognises the hard work of our [employees] in the Gatwick operation for EasyJet. The deal represents another step in our journey to become the employer of choice in the area and ensure we continue to support our customers’ future needs.”
Jamie Major, regional officer at Unite, said: “Baggage handlers and ground staff employed by DHL have negotiated a significant boost in pay well above the rate of inflation. During the pay talks, Unite and DHL worked constructively to develop a transparent pay strategy which is fair and gives [employees] the opportunity to progress.
“Unite’s organising strategy has meant that hundreds of new members joined the union, which in turn gave Unite more influence during negotiations. This above inflation pay deal once again shows that when pay is falling flat across the economy it pays to be in a union.”
DHL was unavailable for comment at time of publication.