24-Hour Strike at the Civil Aviation Authority: no impact on passengers

On Thursday 6 February, staff at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will be on strike. The CAA is the UK’s aviation regulator. The strike will last 24 hours.

Why is the strike taking place?

The strike is being organised by the Prospect union and it follows a pay dispute. Union members are protesting against a 3-4% pay rise, which they say is disproportionate to other salaries in the industry. They had previously taken action by refusing to work overtime, but as this did not have enough of an impact, they have now opted for a one-day strike.

A CAA spokesman said they were still in talks with the union, but the situation had escalated into a formal strike after protracted negotiations.

How will the strike affect aviation?

No major impact on aviation is expected at this time. The CAA has said that only 1 in 5 employees are taking part in the strike, meaning that flights will not be delayed or cancelled.

However, Prospect warns that continued strikes could affect airlines in the longer term, for example by delaying technological improvements and new regulations.

Waiting for a new proposal

There is still time to avoid further strikes, but then the employer will have to resume negotiations. At the moment there is no new proposal from the CAA that the workers can accept.

For the time being, there is no cause for concern for travellers, but if the dispute escalates, it could eventually affect airlines and passengers. As the airlines have no control over this, passengers have no right to compensation.