Heathrow Airport workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in December over plans to 'fire and rehire' 4,000 staff on reduced pay. Members of the Unite union backed industrial action by 85 per cent, with firefighters, engineers, security, baggage handlers, and other operational staff set to walk out.
The first 24-hour strike is scheduled for Tuesday 1 December, followed by a further one-day stoppage on Monday 14 December. A 48-hour strike will then take place on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 December. The union condemned the airport's proposals as 'brutal' and accused management of using the pandemic as a 'smokescreen' to permanently cut wages.
Unite regional coordinating officer Wayne King said: 'Workers are taking strike action as a direct result of Heathrow Airport's brutal proposals to fire and rehire them on greatly reduced wages.' He added that the airport has billions in reserves and should not be forcing key workers into poverty.
Heathrow has seen passenger numbers plummet during the pandemic, with just 1.25 million travellers in October compared to 7.06 million a year earlier. The airport had previously proposed cutting 1,200 jobs, around a quarter of frontline roles, triggering a 45-day consultation.
A Heathrow spokesperson described the strike action as 'disappointing' and said contingency plans would keep the airport open and operating safely. The union, however, warned of 'a great deal of disruption' to passengers and cargo, and called on the government to scrutinise the airport's management and finances.
