Heathrow strike: Airport could be ‘shut down’ over summer as more than 4,000 workers walk out
Staff have announced a series of strikes in a dispute over pay, but British Airways says it expects to operate as normal
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Your support makes all the difference.Heathrow airport will be “shut down” this summer by a series of strikes involving 4,000 workers, the Unite union has warned.
Unite members across the airport’s four terminals have given notice of six days of walk-outs in a dispute over pay.
More than 4,000 airport employees, including security guards, engineers, passenger service operatives and passenger service drivers, are set to stage industrial action on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July, Monday 5, Tuesday 6, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 August, in a move that could potentially shut down the airport.
The first two and last two dates are expected to be very busy weekends.
The workers backed strike action in eight separate strike ballots following the rejection of an 18 month pay offer amounting to 2.7 per cent, which according to Unite adds up to just £3.75 extra a day for the lowest paid workers.
Unite represents more than 4,000 Heathrow Airport workers who are involved in the dispute.
“There is deepening anger over pay among workers who are essential to the smooth running of Heathrow Airport,” said Unite regional coordinating officer Wayne King.
“They are fed up of being expected to accept crumbs while the chief executive pockets an eye popping 103 per cent rise in his pay package and shareholders are handed dividends of over £2 billion in the last two years alone.
“To add insult to injury there are widening pay disparities leading to airport security guards employed after 2014 earning up to £6,000 less than colleagues hired before that date.”
He added that Unite members ensured over 80 million passengers passed safely through Heathrow in the last 12 months and “contributed massively” to the airport’s profits last year.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that Unite will be taking strike action. Following this decision, we will be implementing contingency plans that will ensure the airport remains open and operating safely throughout any coordinated action.
“We will be working alongside our airline partners to minimise disruption caused to passengers as they look towards their well-deserved summer holidays.
“We are proud of our record as a good employer and we remain committed to finding a solution. We have proposed a progressive pay package giving at least a 4.6 per cent pay rise to over 70 per cent of our frontline colleagues.
“The total package offered is above RPI and is specifically designed to boost the wages of lower paid colleagues. We have invited our union colleagues back to the table and urge them to continue working with us to reach an agreement.”
British Airways, which has the majority of operations at Heathrow, says it plans to operate as normal.
A BA spokesperson said: “Heathrow airport have assured us that they will have robust contingency plans in place to avoid any disruption to travellers.”
British Airways pilots are balloting for industrial action in a dispute over pay. The voting ends on 22 July and a strike could be called from 5 August onwards.
Unite members at Stansted airport who work as check-in staff for easyJet have called a series of strikes beginning on 25 July and continuing every weekend in August.
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