Heathrow Airport workers to strike nearly every weekend this summer in mass walkout over pay
HEATHROW Airport workers have announced they will strike nearly every weekend this summer in a mass walkout over pay.
The Unite union said more than 2,000 of its members will undertake industrial action for 31 days from June 24.
For the first time security officers based at Terminal 3 will join their colleagues from Terminal 5 and campus security who have previously gone on strike.
The walkouts will threaten a summer of travel chaos with passengers likely to face heavy disruption.
These dates include Eid festival, the beginning of the school holidays, and the August bank holiday.
Some of the world’s biggest airlines could be affected by the strikes.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is putting Heathrow on notice that strike action at the airport will continue until it makes a fair pay offer to its workers.
“Make no mistake, our members will receive the union’s unflinching support in this dispute.
“Heathrow Airport has got its priorities all wrong.
“This is an incredibly wealthy company, which this summer is anticipating bumper profits and an executive pay bonanza.
“It’s also expected to pay out huge dividends to shareholders, yet its workers can barely make ends meet and are paid far less than workers at other airports.”
Heathrow said similar strikes in recent weeks, by campus security and staff in terminal five, have not been disruptive.
“Unite has already tried and failed to disrupt the airport with unnecessary strikes on some of our busiest days and we continue to build our plans to protect journeys during any future action,” a spokesperson for the airport said.
“Passengers can rest assured that we will do everything we can to minimise strike disruption so they can enjoy their hard-earned summer holidays.”
Other strikes are set to cause travel chaos for British holidaymakers this summer.
Thousands of flights are set to be impacted as air traffic controllers in France and Italy stage walkouts.
A 24-hour strike is set to take place on Sunday in Italy, as air-traffic controllers, handling staff and cabin crews take industrial action.
And Ryanair was forced to cancel 400 flights yesterday due to the strikes in France.