Heathrow airport security guards announce strike from June-August

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Jun 2023 19:03

UK trade union Unite announces that the guards in question will be striking for a total of 31 days during which the travel season will be peaking.

Travelers queue at security at Heathrow Airport in London, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (AFP)

UK trade union Unite announced in a statement that over 2,000 security officers at London's Heathrow Airport will be striking from June 24 to August 27 over low pay and poor working conditions.

The guards in question, who work at Terminals 3 and 5 of the airport, will be striking for a total of 31 days during which the travel season will be peaking, the statement said.

The period of strife will be coinciding with the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in June, the start of school holidays in July, and the bank holiday weekend at the end of August. "Delays, disruption, and cancellations will be inevitable as a result of the strike action," warns Unite regional officer Wayne King in a statement.

Last year, when Border Force staffers went on strike in December, the government appointed military personnel to carry out immigration and customs controls at several airports, including Heathrow.

A Downing Street spokesman told AFP that he was not aware of the Union's call but that the government will keep track of the situation. "We obviously recognize that this will be a major concern for those who are looking to travel over the next few months and those who are looking to get away on their summer holidays," the spokesman said.

"Ultimately it's a matter for Heathrow and the union to resolve, but we expect operators to make every effort to minimize disruption and to ensure those who are reliant on their services and those who have booked flights can still travel."

A series of strikes waged by workers and civil servants of various industrial backgrounds have occupied the streets of Britain over the past months as people's dissatisfaction keeps growing, with the worsening economic situation caused by rising energy prices and soaring inflation in the country.

"Unite is putting Heathrow on notice that strike action at the airport will continue until it makes a fair pay offer to its workers," added Unite general secretary Sharon Graham on Wednesday.

Official data revealed on May 24 that the UK's annual inflation rate fell sharply to an eight-month low of 8.7% in April with weaker energy prices.

The rate of price increases decreased from 10.1% in March, pushing inflation under 10% for the first time since August last year, the Office for National Statistics stated. "However, prices, in general, remain substantially higher than they were this time last year, with annual food price inflation near historic highs," noted ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner.

Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said on June 1 that the UK leaving the European Union led to higher consumer costs and he would be "surprised" if two years go by without the United Kingdom going into recession.

Heathrow is one of the largest airports in the world. It is owned by a consortium led by Ferrovial, a Spanish-based construction company, and includes sovereign wealth funds from China, Singapore and Qatar, and North American shareholders.

British Airways canceled more than 72 flights to and from Heathrow over the Easter holiday period due to strikes by airport security staff.