SUMMER OF DISRUPTION: Heathrow Airport strikes escalate to 31 days of action
Unite the union has announced a major escalation of its dispute with Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) over low pay.
The union has announced 31 days of strike action beginning on Saturday 24 June. The strikes will involve over 2,000 security officers.
For the first time security officers based at Terminal Three, who voted for strike action last week, will join their colleagues from Terminal Five and campus security on the picket line. Campus security are responsible for checking all personnel and vehicles going airside.
The walkout by workers at Terminal Three will result in a large number of airlines facing the prospect of disruption, delays and cancellations this summer. These include: Virgin, Emirates, Qatar, United, American and Delta. The extensive walkouts at Terminal Five will heavily affect British Airway’s summer schedule.
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.
“HAL 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.”
The workers will be on strike on 24, 25, 28, 29 and 30 June and 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 31 July and 4, 5, 6 , 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, and 27 August.
These dates include Eid festival (28, 29 and 30 June), the beginning of the school holidays (21, 22, 23 and 24 July) and the August bank holiday (24, 25, 26 and 27 August).
