'Autumn of discontent' strike action timed for Labour conference week

Airport workers, postal staff, firefighters and council employees are gearing up for an autumn of discontent with a series of disputes over pay, jobs and cuts in services.

A series of strikes is timed to embarrass Labour next month at the party's national conference at Brighton.

Leaders of the Unite and GMB unions representing baggage handlers and other ground staff at Gatwick and Stansted airports have voted for strike action in a row over pay with employer Swissport.

The unions have held off naming strike days to allow more talks with management.

They had been expecting a 2.75 per cent pay increase in April and have accused Swissport of reneging on a two-year deal.

Swissport said it was suffering heavy losses because of a 19 per cent reduction in flights.

Postal workers will stage more strikes this week across the country in their ongoing dispute with Royal Mail. The Communication Workers Union is preparing to ballot 130,000 staff for a national strike over pay, jobs and services.

On Wednesday, 8,000 firefighters in England will take industrial action in a long-running dispute over cuts in jobs and working conditions.

Youth and community workers in Coventry will hold a 24-hour strike on Wednesday in protest over cuts in services for young people while refuse collectors in Leeds have voted to go on strike in a pay dispute.