Travel chaos to hit major UK airport as 1,400 staff strike for eight more days including Coronation bank holiday weekend
TRAVEL chaos is expected to hit one of the UK’s major airports as 1,400 security staff members strike over the King’s Coronation bank holiday weekend.
Heathrow Airport could face eight more days of industrial action causing mayhem for hundreds of families.
Airport staff part of union Unite have voted to walkout next month over a pay dispute.
The dates include the Coronation weekend and the bank holiday at the end of May.
Members are planning to take part in the action on May 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10, and then again on May 25, 26 and 27.
The call to strike follows the rejection of a 10 per cent pay rise and claims some staff earn as little as £24k.
The further eight days comes after previous strike action took place over the Easter holidays.
While it previously involved guards working with British Airways at Terminal Five, those checking cargo entering the airport as well as firefighters and engineers, it is not clear who will take part in the upcoming strike.
However Heathrow has vowed to not let unite “disrupt the flow” of holiday-makers during the historical weekend.
A spokesperson for the airport said: “We kept Heathrow running smoothly during the first 10 days of Unite’s failed industrial action, and passengers can have confidence that we will do so again this time.
“We will not let Unite disrupt the flow of visitors to the UK during such an important period for the country.
“Instead of chasing headlines, Unite should listen to its members. The majority of Heathrow colleagues do not want to strike and want to accept the offer on the table.
“Each day that Unite refuses to allow members to vote on the 10% pay increase and a £1,150 lump sum payment is a day that costs colleagues money they deserve now.”
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, previously said: “Workers can’t be expected to accept real-term pay cuts as shareholders and bosses get richer and richer.
“If the strike is to be averted, there needs to be more real money put on the table to make a decent pay rise.”
During the Easter walkout, Heathrow deployed 1,000 additional colleagues to ensure travellers weren’t impacted.
Their contingency plan for the upcoming disruption is not yet known.