Heathrow strikes: Groundworkers to stage three day walkout from Friday

Passengers travelling through Heathrow airport this weekend are braced for major disruptions as groundworkers are set to strike in a dispute over pay.

Around 350 Unite members employed by Menzies will begin a 72 hour walkout at 4am on Friday November 18.

The union has warned that the dispute will lead to disruption, delays and cancellation for flights leaving Heathrow Terminals 2, 3 and 4.

The strike action will particularly affect Air Canada, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Air Portugal, Austrian airlines, Qantas, Egypt Air, Aer Lingus and Finnair.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members at Menzies play a critical role in ensuring that planes operate safely at Heathrow.

“Menzies is a wealthy company and it can fully afford to pay its workers a decent pay increase. It is greed not need which is preventing a fair pay offer being made.

“Unite’s members at Menzies will receive the union’s comprehensive support.”

Unite says the strike is over Menzies “derisory” pay offers to the ground handlers.

Unite regional officer Kevin Hall said: “The strike action will inevitably cause serious delays for passengers at Heathrow but this dispute is entirely of Menzies own making.

“It has had every opportunity to make our members’ a fair pay offer, but it has stubbornly refused to do so.”

Strikes scheduled to take place involving workers at Dnata have been called off after members accepted an improved offer.

Strike action involving Menzies workers employed in its cargo and trucking sections has been suspended to allow the workers to be balloted on a significantly improved offer.

Due to the Dnata and Menzies Cargo strike not going ahead, passengers with Qatar Airways going to the World Cup will not be directly affected by the dispute.

A picket line will be in place from 4am Friday morning on the north side of the junction of Nene Road and Bath Road (opposite The Esso garage), near Heathrow airport.

LondonWorld has contacted Menzies for comment.