Today for many marks the start of the Easter holidays, kids take a break from school for two weeks and maybe parents have booked a well-deserved short getaway following a freezing cold winter.
Friday also marks the start of 10 days of strikes by security guards at Heathrow Airport, following failed talks on Thursday evening to resolve an ongoing pay dispute.
Although Heathrow has told the Irish Daily Mirror that the airport is operating normally as the strikes begin, many people will remember what a lack of security caused for Dublin Airport in 2022. Here is everything you need to know about the strikes, and whether your holiday plans will be impacted:
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What is going on in Heathrow?
A massive number of security officers, employed by Heathrow Airports Ltd (HAL), are taking part in strike action over poverty pay.
Approximately 1,400 members of the Unite union, working in security at Heathrow Airport, have kicked off the 10-day strike today, which will continue until Easter Sunday, April 9.
The strikes reportedly almost did not go ahead, however, a breakdown in talks on Thursday evening occurred as Heathrow Airport did not increase its pay offer to the striking personnel.
How will the strikes impact Irish holiday goers and will I get compensation if my flight has been cancelled?
In short, unless you are travelling to Heathrow from Ireland you should be okay, however, there is one airline that has cancelled a whopping number of flights - so if you were grabbing a connecting flight from Heathrow, then you may be in a spot of bother.
On the first day of the strike, only one airline, British Airways (BA), cancelled flights. This is because the majority of the security staff who have undertaken the strike worked at security checkpoints at Terminal Five - a terminal used by BA.
In total, the airline cancelled a whopping 72 flights, impacting around 10,000 passengers. These flights were headed to cities like Nice, Amsterdam, Zurich, Stockholm, Vienna and Athens.
According to a spokesperson for the daa, the operator of both Dublin and Cork airports, "Dublin Airport is operating as normal today. As always, passengers should contact their airline for updates regarding specific flights."
As the workers going on strike are employed by the airport and not the airline, you will not be entitled to compensation if your flight is cancelled.
Where does Heathrow stand?
However, a Heathrow spokesperson explained to the Irish Mirror that "contingency plans" have been put in place, alongside "1,000 additional colleagues" to ensure the airport continues to operate normally.
The spokesperson said: "We will not let these unnecessary strikes impact the hard-earned holidays of our passengers. Our contingency plans will keep the airport operating as normal throughout.
"We are deploying 1,000 additional colleagues and the entire management team who will be in the terminals providing assistance to passengers over the busy Easter getaway."
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