Security staff at Gatwick Airport to strike at business period of the year

In a dispute over pay Gatwick Airport security staff are set to stage a two day strike on 10 August from 6am which will “cause travel disruption” the union Unite said.

The union said most of the 130 staff who scan passenger’s luggage and are employed by ICTS are paid less than £9 per hour.

Jamie Major, Unite regional officer said, “It is high time the airport got its priorities right and starts investing in its hard-working staff, instead of paying millions to its shareholders.”

Coby Benson, of compensation law firm Bott & Co said the strike are to fall “in the midst of peak holiday season in a busy month for air travel in general.”

Unite calls off Heathrow strikes set for busiest two days of the year

Strikes by 4,000 Heathrow airport workers on Friday and Saturday have been called off so they can vote on a new pay offer.

The strikes would have hit flights on one of the busiest weekends of the summer.

The Unite union said it would not give details of the offer until members had considered it.

Two more 48-hour strikes from 5 August and 23 August are currently still on the cards.

Earlier in July, Heathrow staff rejected an 18-month pay rise offer averaging 2.7%.

At the time, the union said the workers were angry over pay rates, including different pay rates for the same job.

There was also disquiet over the pay package of airport boss John Holland-Kaye, who got £4.2m in 2018, up from £2.1m in 2017, mainly thanks to a long-term bonus scheme.

Separately, on Tuesday British Airways lost a legal bid to stop its pilots from going on strike over pay in the summer holiday season, but said it planned to appeal against the decision.

The pilots’ union has yet to set any dates for industrial action.

Transient working: it need not be stressful

Working patterns have changed and evolved throughout the years. Gone are the days of a typical 9-5 sit-down office job, and employees are favouring a more flexible working pattern.

Transient working has become more of the norm than it was ten years ago, with many embracing the opportunity to explore the world whilst working. In some industries, the need for co-location and remote working is a necessity. It can be overcome by a variety of technological advances, including collaborative and video technology. However, in other industries, a physical presence is required and a nomadic working style is essential.  For example, in the role of a Leisure Product Director. Within the travel industry, this role involves travelling to a variety of different hotels and resorts around the world to review and sign up new partners. Jacek Skrzypkowski, Leisure Product Director at the online travel agent, eSky, has spent 14 years visiting hundreds of hotels and resorts throughout his career. It is physically impossible for Jacek to do his job without transient working and staying away from home for weeks at a time. Jacek has collated his top tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance fortransient workers:

Time Planning

When you are away from home on business, it is easy to lose track of time and focus solely on work. Ensure that you take time away from your desk to interact with friends and family. Despite time differences, schedule regular conversations with someone back home. It is important to keep your daily routine as normal as possible despite the difference in the environment and to take a regular break from the office.

Diet

A common occurrence when on business trips is that your diet tends to suffer. Irregular working patterns, an abundance of fast-food restaurants and frequential business dinners are partially to blame. It is natural to indulge every once in a while, however, a bad diet does take a toll on the body after a while. Make sure to consider what you are eating and take care to be mindful of what too much junk food can do to your body.

Exercise

Although most hotels provide complimentary gym access, it is surprising just how little people use them. Exercise tends to take a back seat when you are away from home, with many business associates focussing more on work than their health and wellbeing. Even 15 minutes of exercise a day, whether in a gym or going for a run or a swim, can heavily improve your physique and overall wellbeing.

Sleep

Jet-lag is notoriously difficult to manage and even harder to recover from. Drinking a lot of water and keeping the body hydrated during a flight significantly helps with the symptoms of jet-lag. This can help you to fall asleep more naturally too. Do your best to adjust to the schedule of your destination and try to sleep at the time you would naturally at home. One of the best methods is to set your watch to the time of your destination as soon as you get onto the plane. This helps you to mentally adjust to the rhythm of the new country.

Ensure that digital housekeeping is in order

One of the many things to consider when abroad is your digital ecosystem. Although most laptops, mobile telephones and other devices will automatically adapt to a foreign country, some may have to be manually programmed. You must also ensure that your mobile is set up for travel – remember to add on any necessary data packages to your existing mobile phone contract. This not only saves money but allows for the best connection possible. Most countries will also use a different power adapter to what you are used to. Ensure that you bring an abundance of plug socket adapters and a small extension lead. This allows for multiple devices to be charged and used no matter how many sockets are in your room.

Culture and customs

Travelling for work is the perfect opportunity to expand your horizons. Take time to explore the destination outside of the workplace, brush up on a foreign language and taste new foods.

Focus on productivity

Although you are away from the standard office scenario, working from a different environment must still be productive. Working remotely allows for more time with loved ones once you return home and therefore provides a clear divide between your work life and personal life.

Preparation

It is important to mitigate stressors before you even step foot in the airport. It is easy to forget to check your passport expiry date if you are away on a long trip, however, this can lead todisastrous consequences if it is not valid. Another crucial factor to investigate before the trip is whether or not a visa is required, the currency of the country and the type of travel insurance you require. You should also make sure to advise your bank of any likely foreign purchases that could be made on your card to avoid your account being frozen.

Pack smart

No matter how tedious it is, packing is an inevitable part of any business trip. Make sure to check the baggage allowance of your airline and always weigh your bag to avoid unexpected excess baggage costs. Pack the clothes that you will need immediately on the top of your case so they can be accessed easily and roll items to create extra space and reduce creasing. Take any business shirts and suits in carry-on luggage to avoid being ruined during transit.

Review your “life admin”

It is important to remain focussed when away on business and not be distracted by any “life admin” issues at home. Visit the bank before leaving to ensure that all direct debits are correctly set up and all bills will be paid on time. Anything that is difficult to manage away from home should be finalised and taken care of prior to taking off.

Jacek Skrzypkowski is the Leisure Product Director t eSky.

New laws set to crack down on ‘gagging’ clauses in employment contracts

The government says it will crack down on the use of workplace “gagging clauses” to cover up allegations of harassment, discrimination and assault.

Many businesses use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to protect commercially-sensitive information.

But bosses have been accused in high profile cases of using the clauses to silence victims of workplace abuse.

The proposed new laws will ban NDAs that stop people disclosing information to the police, doctors or lawyers.

Business minister Kelly Tolhurst said the government would not tolerate the use of NDAs to “silence and intimidate victims to stop them speaking out”.

“The new legislation will stamp out misuse, tackle unacceptable workplace cultures, protect individuals and create a level playing field for businesses that comply with the law,” she said.

Last year, Sir Philip Green was accused of using NDAs to stop several former employees from speaking out about bullying and sexual harassment at his Arcadia retail group.

And earlier this year, dozens of academics told the BBC they were “harassed” out of their jobs and made to sign NDAs after raising complaints about discrimination, bullying and sexual misconduct.

Ms Tolhurst said the new legalisation would ensure that the limitations of the confidentiality clause were clear and in plain English.

It will also provide more advice and introduce new enforcement measures to deal with agreements that fail to meet the legal requirements.

She said the new measures would “protect individuals and create a level playing field for businesses that comply with the law”.

Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the Equality & Human Rights Commission, said: “Harassment and discrimination should never go unanswered and unchallenged just because victims are prevented from speaking out.

“This new legislation will help to end ambiguity about employees’ rights and stop the misuse of NDAs to protect corporate and personal reputations and obstruct justice.”

Labour set to end local council outsourcing contracts

Shares in Britain’s government and public services contractors are in the spotlight today after the Labour Party pledged to extend commitments to renationalise the privatised sector.

All the major stocks in the outsourcing sector have been under pressure over the past half-decade, with the likes of Capita, Serco, Babcock, Kier and Mitie trading at a fraction of where they were, while Carillion went bust and Interserve was only saved in a debt-for-equity investor wipeout.

At the weekend Labour said it would bring in legislation, a Local Public Services Act, to force councils into insourcing, or bringing the delivery of public services back in-house and directly employing their own staff. It is understood John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor and architect of what he called an “insourcing revolution”, wants to extend that to government departments.

Outsourcing of public services was introduced during Margaret Thatcher’s reforms to roll back state control.

Announcing Labour’s new policy, Mr McDonnell said that outsourcing had led to “massive failures in service delivery as we saw with the collapse of Carillion. People have had enough and want their services back.”

However, Matthew Fell of the CBI said: “Rejecting the innovation, investment and cost savings suppliers can bring to vital public services and infrastructure is an extreme move, devoid of evidence yet dripping in dogma.”