Hundreds of British Airways passengers face potential disruption this festive season as cleaners at the airline's Heathrow facilities begin a 12-day strike over pay. The industrial action, involving more than 80 workers, commenced on Monday, December 18, and is scheduled to run until Friday, December 29.
The Fight for a Fair Wage
The staff, employed by outsourcing giant OCS to clean BA offices and buildings across four terminals at Heathrow, are currently paid the national minimum wage of £12.21 per hour. Their union, Unite, says they have been requesting the London Living Wage since early last year. This independently calculated rate, set at £14.80 per hour, is designed to reflect the capital's high cost of living.
Unite points to a stark pay disparity, noting that cleaners working on the Mitie contract at Heathrow, performing similar roles, already receive the London Living Wage. The union has sharply criticised both OCS and British Airways, highlighting their substantial profits. OCS, which has an annual turnover of around £1.7 billion in the UK and Ireland, aims to double this within five years. Meanwhile, BA reported a pre-tax profit of £896 million for the first half of 2025, and its CEO, Sean Doyle, received a £2.1 million bonus in May.
Profitable Employers Accused of 'Scrooge' Behaviour
The striking workers are responsible for cleaning key operational areas, including BA's Waterside head office, cargo facilities, and engineering hangars where aircraft are repaired. Unite regional officer Martin West stated: 'All these workers want for Christmas is a wage they can live on. Giving them the London living wage would be a small cost to their profitable employers; however, OCS and BA are choosing to act like Scrooge.'
He urged the companies to negotiate a fairer pay deal to avoid the strikes. This is not the first such action; around 40 Unite members working on OCS's soft services contract at Terminal Five walked out in February and March this year over the same issue.
While OCS is accredited by the Living Wage Foundation for paying its directly employed staff the real living wage (£12.60 nationally, £13.85 in London), this does not extend to the majority of its 50,000-strong workforce on external contracts.
Festive Travel Faces Multiple Strike Threats
Unite's general secretary, Sharon Graham, condemned the situation: 'It is an utter disgrace that while their employers are raking in huge profits, our members have been left struggling financially in one of the world's most expensive cities.' She pledged the union's 'unyielding support' in the fight for fair pay.
The Heathrow cleaners' strike adds to a wave of industrial action threatening Christmas travel. Research suggests one in three passengers could face delays. Separate strikes have been confirmed by approximately 200 DHL workers at London Luton Airport over the final two weekends of December, and by over 130 Scandinavian Airlines cabin crew at Heathrow.
Heathrow Airport itself is preparing to handle around 7 million passengers across its four terminals during the festive period. The Mail has contacted Heathrow, OCS, and BA for comment on the ongoing dispute.
