Over 130 cabin crew at SAS subsidiary Connect in London have issued a strike warning for the Christmas period due to a wage dispute. The strike is set to begin on December 22 and affect December 23, 24, and 26 at Heathrow. SAS confirms ongoing negotiations but offers no further comment on the threat.
The British union Unite the Union has warned over 130 cabin crew at SAS Connect of a strike during the Christmas holiday. SAS Connect is a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines with bases at Arlanda, Kastrup, and Heathrow in London. The dispute centers on wage development, with employees seeking better terms than SAS has offered.
According to industry publication Check-in.dk, the strike is scheduled to start on December 22 and continue over several days into Christmas, specifically December 23, 24, and 26. The parties remain far apart in negotiations. SAS has reportedly offered a 3.5 percent pay increase, later raised to 4.5 percent, while the union demands 7.5 percent.
The union highlights harsh working conditions at Heathrow, where staff claim they neither eat nor sleep properly due to low wages. Members sleep in their cars because SAS does not pay or contribute to hotels. “Scandinavian Airlines publicly praises its cabin crew but cynically tries to cheat them. It is completely unacceptable when the airline depends on their expertise and passengers depend on them for safety. The cabin crew neither eat nor sleep properly due to poverty wages,” says Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite.
Callum Rochford, Unite's regional officer, urges SAS: “SAS must return to the negotiating table with a proper pay offer to the cabin crew, otherwise they will face passengers' anger in a conflict they themselves have caused.”
SAS operates several flights to and from London during the Christmas days that could be affected. The airline's communications chief Alexandra Lindgren Kaoukji writes in an email: “We are currently in dialogue with the relevant parties. Since negotiations are ongoing, we cannot comment further on the matter at this time.” The strike threat could disrupt Swedish travelers planning Christmas flights.
