Passengers using London Heathrow airport could face more disruption this summer after the industrial dispute with security officers “escalated”.
Members of the Unite union working at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 have voted to go on strike as they seek a higher pay rise with the union alleging that security staff at Heathrow are paid less than their counterparts at other London airports.
Around 1,400 security staff working at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 have already held a series of walkouts this month including a three-day stoppage last week from 25-27 May.
The latest strike ballot affects around 600 security staff working at Terminal 3 with 85 per cent voting in favour of industrial action. Unite said it would announce strike dates for staff working at Terminal 3 in the “coming days”.
Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Escalating strike action will inevitably cause disruption, delays and cancellations across Heathrow. This widening dispute is a direct result of Heathrow airport’s dismissive attitude to its workers.
“They have seriously misjudged the anger of the workers. They have had every opportunity to make our members a fair pay offer but have chosen not to. It is now time for them to come back to the negotiating table and deal with this issue before further escalation occurs.
“Strike action is now set to escalate throughout the summer and Unite will leave no stone unturned in support for our members involved in the dispute.”
A Heathrow spokesperson told BTN Europe: “We have kept the airport operating over the last 17 days of strike action, and passengers can have confidence that we will continue to protect their journeys over the summer. Over the coming days, we will be updating our plans and activating a reserve pool of colleagues to provide additional security capacity.
“The summer getaway is one of the best times of the year at Heathrow and no one should be worried about the threat of unnecessary strikes rumbling on in the background. There is an inflation-beating deal on the table for this year and next and Unite should let colleagues vote on it. Our door remains open to discuss resolving this issue.”
The aviation industry has been emphasising how travellers in Europe should benefit from a “smoother” travel experience this summer due to better staffing levels after last year’s widespread disruption to air travel caused largely by a shortage of employees.
But travel buyers, polled by Business Travel Show Europe, are not so confident, with 55 per cent expecting a repeat of 2022’s “travel chaos” this year.