Air travellers using Stansted on Bank Holiday Monday face a renewed threat of disruption from 30 airport workers.

As one strike was called off today, threat of a second industrial action by baggage scanners remains.

The GMB union says that its members, who are striking over pay, perform an essential role in the baggage scanning process.

And the union claims any action would severly disrupt travellers. An estimated 320,000 people will fly in and out of Stansted over the weekend.

The 30 or so workers involved are employed by Airfield Services, part of Gate Aviation.

Their responsibility is to oversee the scanning of luggage that has raised an alarm in the preliminary scanner and requires a secondary inspection.

Gary Pearce, a spokesman for the GMB, told Times Online: "Bags will build up if this screening process isn't working properly."

Spokeswoman for Airfield Services, Komel Bajwe, claims that it has a full contingency plan in place. "We don't expect any disruption and are working towards business as usual."

However, Pearce claims that the contingency plans were drawn up when a separate strike by baggage handlers and cabin crew for Stansted this weekend was still planned to go ahead.

"Now the strikes are off," said Pearce, "all the belts will be operating and that means a lot more bags. It will cause disruption, there's no two ways about it."

Responding to Pearce's claims, Bajwe said: "As it stands we have robust contingency plans in place to supply the necessary number of people.

"I can't go in to more detail for security reasons, but we are working to minimise any disruption."

If the strike goes ahead it has the potential to affect any passenger travelling with hold luggage as Airfield Services works with all airlines at Stansted.

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