London airports to be hit by series of strikes during summer

The Unite union has threatened to “shut down” Heathrow, Britain’s biggest airport, this summer after calling a series of strikes over pay. Disruption could also occur across other London airports in separate disputes over pay and conditions, while British Airways pilots have been balloted for a strike. Unite said that over 4,000 employees including security guards, engineers and passenger service staff were set to walk out for six days, including two of the summer’s busiest weekends, in a move that could potentially shut down the airport. Heathrow said it would implement contingency plans to ensure the airport remained open and that disruption for passengers was minimised. More than 80 million passengers travel through Heathrow each year and the strikes would start on what could be its busiest ever weekend, from Friday 26 July. The same period in July 2018, at the start of school holidays, saw a record 262,000 passengers in a day. The other planned strike dates are 27 July, 5, 6, 23 and 24 August. Unite said the dispute had escalated after Heathrow made an 18-month pay offer that would give the lowest paid an extra GBP3.75 a day. The union said there was deepening anger over pay disparities between workers, as well as over the pay of the airport’s CE, John Holland-Kaye, which doubled last year to GBP4.2m, while shareholders also took billions in dividends. Heathrow said it was offering an above-inflation rise designed to help the lower paid.<br/>