When are the Heathrow airport strikes and could flights be affected?
Trains and tubes aren’t the only transport strikes hitting the UK, with passengers at Britain’s busiest airport set for disruption early next month due to a strike that will see around 1,400 staff walkout.
The industrial action, being taken by Unite the Union, will see security guards at Heathrow Terminal Five go on strike for ten days, including the Easter weekend.
Unite accuse Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) of offering its workers real terms pay cut due to inflation.
But when are the strikes and will they affect flights?
Here’s the latest information.
When are the Heathrow airport strikes?
Strike action is set to begin on March 31 and end on April 9, 2023.
While correct at the time of writing, strikes are subject to change at the last minute due to negotiations.
Could the Heathrow airport strike impact flights?
Both sides of the dispute disagree on the extent to which the strikes may affect services.
Unite regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King has warned: ‘Strike action will cause huge disruption and delays at Heathrow throughout Easter but this dispute is entirely of HAL’s own making it has had every opportunity to make a fair pay offer but has failed to do so.’
However, a spokesperson for the airport told Sky News it has ‘contingency plans’ which will keep the airport ‘open and operational despite unnecessary threats of strike action by Unite’.
As such, it is best to check all travel plans in advance, and on the day of travel.
Why are Heathrow workers striking?
The Unite Union accuses Heathrow Airport Ltd of what it describes as ‘brutal attacks on pay and conditions’ in the year 2020 that ‘left its employees even more exposed to the impacts of the cost of living crisis.’
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has said: ‘Workers at Heathrow Airport are on poverty wages while the chief executive and senior managers enjoy huge salaries. It is the airport’s workers who are fundamental to its success and they deserve a fair pay increase.
‘Our members are simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages paid by Heathrow. They are being forced to take strike action due to need not greed.
‘Unite has a laser like focus on prioritising the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and HAL needs to be in no doubt that the workers at the airport will receive the union’s unstinting support.’
A spokesperson for Heathrow has said: ‘Threatening to ruin people’s hard-earned holidays with strike action will not improve the deal’
‘We want to do the right thing by our people and our passengers, each day only delays this pay rise reaching Unite members’ pockets.’
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