Heathrow Airport in talks with workers to prevent Tuesday strike
Heathrow Airport may have just avoided major strikes on Monday but Heathrow is still in talks today to try and prevent another walkout on Tuesday.
Initially a strike planned for Monday and Tuesday following a row over pay from thousands of workers. While strikes are suspended today at Britain’s busiest airport, there is still a possibility that a walkout could happen tomorrow.
On Friday, around 4,000 from the workers union Unite voted on the airport's revised pay deal with 88% opting to strike.
Heathrow says the revised pay deal is worth 7.3% over two-and-a-half years.
Unite said that the pay dispute originates from workers’ “deepening anger over pay disparities” between them and the “massive pay package of Heathrow Airport’s chief executive officer John Holland-Kaye.”
“Rather than provoking the disruption that strike action will cause, we would urge Heathrow Airport to use this money for an improved pay offer that better reflects the hard work of the workers who keep the airport running safely and smoothly,” said Unite regional coordinating officer Wayne King in a statement on Friday.
“This latest vote for strike action points to growing anger among the airport’s workers in a whole range of vital jobs which are essential to the smooth and safe running of Heathrow. Airport bosses need to heed this latest strike vote and the overwhelming rejection by our members of the revised pay offer which offers little over and above the original offer of £3.75 extra a day for many workers.”
What should travellers do?
Firstly, travellers should check directly with their airline for latest updates on their flights.
If flights are cancelled, you can contact your airline to see what you are entitled to in terms of a refund, compensation, or even being booked on another flight at a later date.
However, compensation is the least likely result of a cancelled flight due to the airport having issues, rather than the airline.
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