UK airport workers cancel strike after improved pay offer

Strike action at the UK's Gatwick Airport by ground handlers were called off after they received "a significantly improved pay offer," the Union trade union said on Thursday. The walkout was due to begin on Friday by workers employed by ground handling company Red Handling at the London airport. "The workers who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, received the revised offer late yesterday (Wednesday 16 August) and will now be balloted on the proposed deal," the union said in a statement. It noted that they have suspended the action "as an act of good faith." "Unite has been consistent from the outset, we believed that Red Handling could afford to make an improved offer and that proved to be the case," said Unite regional officer Dominic Rothwell. If the offer, which was not mentioned by the union, is rejected by the members, they will stage the walkout as planned on Aug. 25-28.