Security staff at Heathrow are planning to strike over the King’s Coronation weekend.
A fresh wave of walkouts is scheduled from 4 to 10 May and again from 25 to 26 May as part of a row over pay.
Unite union, which represents the security staff, says Heathrow Airport is set for “May mayhem” warning that the industrial action will cause “inevitable disruption and delays”.
“Strikes next month will cause further disruption to airport passengers but this dispute is a direct result of Heathrow’s stubborn refusal to make an offer that meets our members’ expectations,” says Unite regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King.
Heathrow has been offering a 10 per cent pay increase since January and recently improved the offer with a £1,150 (€1,300) lump sum this year.
But King says Unite members have been clear that they are seeking a substantial permanent increase in pay.
“A small one off lump sum payment will not alleviate the financial pressures our members are facing on a daily basis,” he adds.
“While the CEO can enjoy a lavish millionaire’s lifestyle, our members struggle to pay the bills and put food on the table. This is about need not greed.”
Will Heathrow strikes cause disruption to flights?
The strikes have the potential to cause disruption for millions of passengers travelling through the airport over the weekend of the King’s Coronation.
But Heathrow says it has managed to keep the airport running smoothly during the previous industrial action, which involved around 1,400 security staff. The walkouts over the busy Easter weekend involved workers at Terminal 5 – which is used exclusively by British Airways – and guards responsible for checking cargo that enters the airport.
BA cancelled around 5 per cent of flights and stopped selling tickets on previous strike days.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, says the “dispute is bound to escalate” with “disruption set to continue throughout summer.”
What other travel disruption is taking place over the Coronation weekend?
It isn’t the only strike happening over the bank holiday weekend. Traffic wardens in Westminster in central London are also walking out on the day of the Coronation in a dispute over pay and working conditions.
Passport Office workers, represented by the Public and Commercial Services Union, are also walking out for four days from 2 to 6 May.
Nearly 2,000 passport examiners are already taking part in a rolling strike but will be joined by a further 1,000 staff including interviewers and those in administrative and anti-fraud roles.
Source: Euro News
