The Unite union is warning of ‘significant disruption’ when 800 staff at Heathrow walk out for seven days early next month, although the airport said passengers will not be affected.
Members of passenger services, who assist travellers to catch connecting flights, as well as trolley operators and campus security – the team responsible for all workers and vehicles being checked before entering Heathrow – are striking in protest at their jobs being outsourced by 1 June.
Strike action will start at 00:01 on Tuesday 7 May, ending at 23:59 on Monday 13 May. refuellers return to work from a planned 72-hour strike over the May bank holiday.
The strikers are being joined in industrial action by firefighters and workers in airside operations at Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) , who fear they may be next in line for outsourcing and who support the idea of a multilateral collective bargaining agreement.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is fully focussed on defending its members jobs, pay and conditions and our members at Heathrow will receive the union’s unrelenting support during this dispute.”
Unite Regional Co-Ordinating Officer Wayne King said: “Strike action will inevitably cause widespread disruption across the airport, leading to delays and disruption.”
HAL said it has robust contingency plans and doesn’t anticipate any impact on passengers’ journeys.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We are reorganising our operations to deliver better results for our customers. There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted.
“Unite’s threats of potential industrial action are unnecessary, and customers can be reassured that we will keep the airport operating smoothly just like we have in the past.”
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Members of passenger services, who assist travellers to catch connecting flights, as well as trolley operators and campus security – the team responsible for all workers and vehicles being checked before entering Heathrow – are striking in protest at their jobs being outsourced by 1 June.
Strike action will start at 00:01 on Tuesday 7 May, ending at 23:59 on Monday 13 May. refuellers return to work from a planned 72-hour strike over the May bank holiday.
The strikers are being joined in industrial action by firefighters and workers in airside operations at Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) , who fear they may be next in line for outsourcing and who support the idea of a multilateral collective bargaining agreement.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is fully focussed on defending its members jobs, pay and conditions and our members at Heathrow will receive the union’s unrelenting support during this dispute.”
Unite Regional Co-Ordinating Officer Wayne King said: “Strike action will inevitably cause widespread disruption across the airport, leading to delays and disruption.”
HAL said it has robust contingency plans and doesn’t anticipate any impact on passengers’ journeys.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We are reorganising our operations to deliver better results for our customers. There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted.
“Unite’s threats of potential industrial action are unnecessary, and customers can be reassured that we will keep the airport operating smoothly just like we have in the past.”
The post 800 Heathrow staff to strike for seven days next month appeared first on Travel Gossip.
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