Everything you need to know about the Gatwick strikes and how they impact you

Travellers planning an Easter weekend getaway could find themselves delayed in the coming days.

Strikes at Gatwick Airport over the Easter holidays are set to go ahead imminently after hundreds of workers rejected a last-minute deal.

Baggage handlers and flight dispatchers from Red Handling will take industrial action at the UK’s second-biggest airport over several issues, including unpaid pensions, late payments and “illegal” shift patterns, the Unite union announced last week.

The union told the Standard that its members “overwhelmingly rejected” a settlement offer from Red Handling on Wednesday, but that they remain “available for talks to resolve the matters”.

The decision is expected to cause chaos at one of the country’s busiest airports.

If you are planning a holiday, here is all you need to know:

Strike action will start on Good Friday, April 18, and continue each day over the Easter weekend until the early hours of Tuesday, April 22.

Workers at the airport have complained that their pensions have been deducted from their wages, but have appeared to go missing, while there have also been complaints that staff are being paid up to two weeks late.

Some employees have also claimed they have not had pension schemes set up for them at all.

Airport staff have also complained they are unable to take breaks when there are issues, such as delayed flights or emergency landings, Unite regional officer David Taylor told the Standard.

Workers say that new working patterns mean they are not getting 11 hours between their shifts, the legal requirement between working days, or lunch and afternoon breaks.

Unite also claims Red Handling has routinely paid employees late, not agreed to contractual late payment reimbursement and has insufficient working patterns.

Mr Taylor explained the dispute has been ongoing for more than a year, and Unite members believe their employer’s “promises are broken every time”.

He added: “"Gatwick Airport says it expects the Easter holiday to be its busiest period of the year so far, so there is no doubt that industrial action over the long weekend will be extremely disruptive for travellers – however, this is a dispute entirely of Red Handling's own making."

In response to the workers' claims, a Red Handling spokesperson said: “Our shift patterns are fully compliant with UK law, with adequate breaks and downtime provided for staff.

“We take payroll very seriously and do everything we can to ensure that all employees are paid accurately and on time. The only recent issues we are aware of have involved non-traditional banks that have taken slightly longer to process payments.

“It affected a very small number of employees and the issue has now been resolved.

“We have responded positively and fully to all issues raised by Unite on behalf of its members and are working hard to address the pensions issues as quickly as possible.”

The company added that it inherited a “complex pensions scenario” and there had been a small number of delayed payments.

The Red Handling spokesperson said the company is aiming to resolve all delayed payments by May 10.

Certain airlines are expected to be hit more than others – these are Delta, TAP, Air Peace and Norwegian Airlines.

It is expected around 50 flights a day will be disrupted.

All holiday goers travelling over the Easter weekend could face flight delays, cancellations, and long queues at check-in and baggage delays, as a result of the strikes, and people are advised to check in with their flight provider to keep an eye.

Legal experts previously warned that travellers hit by the strikes will not be able to claim compensation if they miss part of their holiday, as industrial action by airport staff falls under airlines’ definition of “extraordinary circumstances”.

A Red Handling spokesperson said it was confident its contingency plans would “support safe and timely travel over the Easter weekend”.

A London Gatwick spokesperson added: “We are aware of the recent ballot results and the planned industrial action by Red Handling, which will impact thousands of passengers during one of our busiest times of year.

“We are supporting the airlines impacted, who hold the contracts directly with Red Handling, with their contingency plans and are hopeful a resolution can be reached ahead of the proposed industrial action.

“Passengers are advised to contact their airlines directly for latest information.”