Strikes planned by hundreds of Heathrow workers will continue on Friday, union leaders said, with further action dates announced over the Christmas and New Year period.
Unite said ground operators at Britain’s biggest airport have rejected the latest “miserable” pay offer from their employer Menzies.
Workers will continue with a 72-hour strike that will begin at 4 a.m. on Friday, December 16, and a new 72-hour strike is planned to begin on Thursday, December 29 and end at 3:59 a.m. on Sunday, 1 January.
The dispute involves more than 400 workers employed by Menzies as ground handlers operating from Heathrow Terminals 2, 3 and 4.
The stoppage after Christmas will also coincide with a planned strike by Border Force staff, Unite said.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a classic case of an employer who could well afford to pay workers a fair pay rise but chose not to.
“Menzies needs to stop making excuses and make a pay offer that meets our members’ expectations.”
The strike is unlikely to cause widespread disruption to passengers departing from Heathrow, with neither British Airways, which operates around half of all Heathrow flights, nor Virgin Atlantic affected.
A Heathrow spokesman said: “We are aware of the strike action proposed by Menzies’ colleagues from December 16-18.
“We encourage airport partners who would be affected to continue with their contingency planning and we will support them to minimize the impact on passengers.”
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During previous similar industrial action in November, Heathrow said no flights had been canceled as a result of the strike.
The Border Force strike is likely to affect only inbound flights, and while it is likely to cause delays and longer queues through immigration for returning holidaymakers after Christmas, airlines have said they are confident they will be able to operate flights without mass disruption.
Further Unite strikes will add to the overall wave of strike action over the winter, with nurses striking on Thursday and more rail strikes set to resume on Friday.
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