Thomas Cook cabin crew vote to strike – but will it affect half-term holidays?

Are you flying with Thomas Cook this half-term? Then you should probably read this…

Thoma Cook

by Kayleigh Dray |
Published on

We’re all going on a summer holiday, no more working for a week or two.

Or so we hope, anyway.

Yup, it might not be fun and laughter for British holidaymakers, as Thomas Cook cabin crew members have voted in favour of a strike.

Eep!

The decision came after Thomas Cook reduced its cabin crew’s breaks from one 20-minuted break every six hours to one 20-minute break every 12 hours worked - the minimum indicated in the Civil Aviation Authority's guidelines.

Unite says crew should have at least two 20-minute breaks every 12 hours.

As a result, 74% of cabin crew have backed industrial action - although a Unite spokesman has said that it is not their intention to disrupt holiday plans during the half-term.

And there is some good news as, for a strike to go ahead, they would need to issue a seven day warning notice to Thomas Cook - which has yet to be served.

This should hopefully mean that the majority of UK half-term holidays should NOT be affected.

Plus, there’s a chance that strikes can be avoided if negotiations go well.

Unite will hold talks with the airline and conciliation service Acas on Thursday and next Tuesday, before making a final decision.

A spokesman for Thomas Cook Airlines said: "We're disappointed Unite cabin crew members have taken the decision to vote for strike action.

"The safety of both our people and our customers is our top priority and we rigorously adhere to the rules around crew breaks."

He said the airline was "committed" to working with Unite to find a solution to end the dispute.

"Meanwhile, we've put together plans to ensure that our customers will still be able to go on holiday, despite any possible strike action."

They added that there are plans in place to make sure customers can still go on holiday in the event of strikes.

Despite this, holidaymakers are understandably nervous that their holidays will be ruined.

One woman told the Mirror Online: “We tried to contact Thomas Cook a couple of times and every time they’ve contacted us they haven’t given us any information.

“We’re wondering if we’re getting to fly or not – it’s our only family holiday for the year – you save up a long time for it and if you get messed about with it it’s not fun.

“It’s definitely taken away some of the excitement.”

Are you concerned that a potential Thomas Cook strike could affect your half-term holiday?

Let us know via Facebook or Twitter (@CloserOnline) now.

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