Heathrow Airport strikes: Easter weekend of travel update

Heathrow Airport has confirmed it continues to “operate as normal” with security “free flowing” ahead of the Easter weekend, amid strikes among security staff.

More than 1,400 security staff in Campus and Terminal 5 have been on strike since March 31 due to a dispute over pay and conditions. The action is due to last 10 days, ending on Easter Sunday (April 9).

The airport has said contingency plans, for which it has brought in 1,000 additional colleagues to support passengers, have kept things moving smoothly. A Heathrow spokesperson said today that it is “the hope” that services will continue operating as normal for the remainder of the action.

Why are security staff striking at Heathrow?

The action was voted for by Unite security staff members due to an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Heathrow can afford to pay a decent pay rise to its workers. This is a wealthy company which is about to return to bumper profits.

“In recent years it’s approved an astronomical rise in salary for its CEO and paid out dividends to shareholders worth billions. Yet somehow Heathrow executives seem to think it’s acceptable to offer what amounts to a real terms pay cut to its security guards and ground staff who are already on poverty pay.

“Unite has a laser-like focus on our members’ jobs, pay and conditions. The workforce at Heathrow Airport will receive the union’s unswerving support in this fight for a decent deal.”

Heathrow meanwhile said it has been in talks with Unite for “months”, having put forward an offer in January of a 10% pay increase, recently amended to include a further £1,150 lump sum.

In a recent internal survey of more than 750 security officers at the airport, Unite said it found one in three are planning to leave their jobs within the next six months, while almost half of respondents are unsure whether they will continue working at Heathrow.

Ms Graham said: “The treatment of security guards at Heathrow is leading to their mass exodus. This survey reveals that many have had enough of gruelling shift work for low pay and are planning to leave.”