Airline workers have used Workers' Memorial Day, 28 April, to turn the
spotlight on the danger of injuries caused by handling heavy luggage. As part
of the ongoing Pack Less campaign, ITF affiliated unions in Romania and the UK
were among those explaining to passengers the hazards they face caused by heavy
baggage.

Many workers are involved in getting the public into the air, to their
destinations and home again. All along the line, workers are handling luggage -
those who check passengers in at the airport, load their suitcases into the
plane's baggage hold and ensure that their hand luggage is safely stowed away
in the cabin. However, few people realise that baggage handlers are four times
more likely than other workers in similar jobs to suffer muscular skeletal
injuries because of the conditions in which they work. When these are not
formally recognised as industrial injuries - which often happens - they can
lose out financially as well as face health issues. Passengers can help by
reducing the amount they pack - even if they already have less than 23 kilos -
and it also saves money as most airlines charge for heavier luggage.

More information

AplusA-online.de - Source: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work