The cabin and staff crew at travel company Thomas Cook has voted to strike in response to a change in the company’s break policy. According to The Independent, the decision was made recently to reduce staff breaks from 20 minutes every six hours to 20 minutes every 12 hours, a pretty severe reduction in benefits.
According to the striking workers, their concern is that the substantial decrease in their ability to take breaks will compromise their performance on the job which, in turn, would put their passengers (and themselves) at higher risk of danger. To date, the union, Unite, hasn’t taken any actions; instead, they’ve vowed to enter into talks with management on Thursday of this week.
As the union’s spokesman, Oliver Richardson, said, “We hope that the company takes note of this strong vote in favour of action and works with us constructively to resolve the dispute and avoid any potential industrial action.”
At the moment, hopes for the talk between management and Unite are hopeful. While Thomas Cook execs have vowed to work with their staff to address any concerns and come to a compromise, they have also told potential passengers that they’re preparing for every eventuality and that travel will not be compromised even in spite of a strike.
