Unite Baggage Handlers in ‘Weight Lifting’ Challenge to MPs

LONDON - Date: Wednesday 25 March

Time: 12.30

Venue: Old Palace Yard, opposite House of Commons, Westminster

Baggage handlers will gather at Parliament tomorrow, (Wednesday) to
demand government action forcing airlines to cut the weight of checked-in
bags from 32kg to 23kg to reduce high levels of muscular skeletal injuries in
the civil aviation industry.

Over 100 Unite members from airports across the UK will be lobbying their
MPs. They’ll ask the parliamentarians to take part in a ‘baggage challenge’
where MPs will be invited to lift the heavy suitcases and other items baggage
handlers are expected to lift on a daily basis.

Unite, the UK’s largest civil air transport union, is calling on the
government to put pressure on the Health and Safety Executive to introduce
regulations to prevent injuries. Unite baggage handlers lift the equivalent
of an elephant a day during their shift. Two years ago the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) Aviation Industry group agreed to reduce the weight of
checked-in baggage from 32 to 23 kilograms per item. The International Air
Transport Association (IATA) has also backed the call.

However, airlines have refused to implement the new weight limit, saying
they will only comply if there is an industry-wide approach.

Unite’s ‘Lighten Up’ campaign also highlights the positive effect lighter
luggage will have on global warming. Lighter bags equal lighter planes,
resulting in less fuel use and lower carbon emissions. Unite will also be
asking government to fund a public awareness campaign to encourage the
travelling public to travel lighter.

Steve Turner, Unite national officer said: “Baggage handlers are
suffering unacceptably high levels of injuries caused by heavy bags. They
lift over 9 tonnes per shift. We are demanding that the government act to
reduce the weight of checked in bags to 23kg which will reduce injuries
significantly.”

Notes to Editors:

- Baggage handlers are five times more like to suffer
muscular skeletal injury than any other worker in the UK.

- Baggage handlers lift around 9 tonnes of luggage per shift.

- If every passenger on a Boeing 747 travelled with 23 not
32kg, it would reduce carbon emissions by the same amount as removing
around 30 private cars from the road for a year.

- For more information look at
www.unitetheunion.com/lightenup

Source: Unite the Union

For further information contact Mark Di-Toro on +44-(0)7918-640-579 or Liane Groves in the Unite press office on +44-(0)7793-661-657