Wed 10 Mar 2010
Air Passengers, Airlines to Be Made Aware of Baggage Handlers’ Concerns
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Trade unions are calling upon air passengers in the
On Feb 12, 2010, Unite the
Unite’s “pack less” campaign was aimed to sensitise people and press their demand on airliners to limit the maximum weight of bags carried by passengers to 23kg from the current 32kg per bag. The drive also received the support of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Aviation Industry Committee and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Steve Turner, Unite National Officer, said air travellers in Europe and
Turner revealed that airport workers handled baggage equivalent in weight to an elephant every day, due to which they were almost five times more susceptible to receive serious injuries than workers in other spheres. He added that these workers work with heavy luggage in very small spaces and can get disabled for life.
Unite has also urged the Government and the HSE to work towards ensuring the safety of baggage handlers.
The European Commission is also planning to create new guidelines to limit the number of musculoskeletal injuries suffered by European workers.
The ‘pack less’ drive was supported by the European Transport Workers’ Federation, which is also lobbying the case for regulations covering the entire European continent. The Heathrow event was the focal point of the European day of action and members of 15 European trade unions were also present there to distribute leaflets to passengers. Similar drives also took place at other cities including
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