Heathrow Airport is set to experience significant disruption as over 1,400 security officers go on strike for ten days starting from today (31 March). Despite last-ditch talks held on Thursday to resolve the current pay dispute, negotiations failed, and the strikes will go ahead as planned.
The talks broke down because Heathrow Airport Limited failed to improve its pay offer and were only willing to offer a lump sum payment as an addition to the current offer, which was deemed insufficient by the union.
According to Unite, the workers involved in the strike had their employment terminated and then rehired in 2020, resulting in many employees suffering significant pay cuts. The union had previously warned that the rehiring would lead to staffing crises in the future, which has now come to pass. As a result, Heathrow is currently employing thousands of temporary staff to bridge the gaps in its operations.
The strike involves security officers at Terminal Five, which is exclusively used by British Airways and Campus security guards responsible for inspecting all cargo entering the airport.
