Check-in and ground staff employed by budget airline Ryanair are under dangerous pressures at work, their union GMB has said. Delegates to the union's congress this month called on authorities to step up safety checks at Britain's airports following reports from GMB members of increasing incidences of verbal and physical attacks on airport check-in staff and a growing number of industrial accidents resulting from insufficient 'turnaround time' for groundstaff to prepare a plane for take-off. GMB says Ryanair's policy of a reducing turnaround times for 737 series aircraft at Stansted from 30 to 25 minutes means that baggage handlers and crews have to cut corners to meet the reduced time available to them to unload, reload plans and prepare plans for departure.
The union adds that increasing passenger numbers are leading to frayed tempers at check-in, and wants safety screens installed between staff and passengers. Gary Pearce, GMB organiser at Stansted, City and Heathrow airports said: 'GMB will not tolerate our members being abused at work whether by the passengers or by their employers. The installation of safety screens between check-in staff and passengers will all but solve the problem of growing assaults on staff. The authorities must take action on the 'turnaround' times. To add insult to injury, ground crew who fail to meet the reduced times run the risk of disciplinary action.'

• GMB news release
• ITF Ryan-be-fair campaign

Source: www.hazards.org