Last-ditch talks are to be held in a bid to avert strikes by security guards at Heathrow Airport. More than 1,400 members of Unite are due to walk out for 10 days from Friday until Easter Sunday in a dispute over pay.
Unite said flights will be disrupted if the talks on Thursday do not lead to a settlement. The union's general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The offer of new talks is to be welcomed but Heathrow’s executives have to realise that the genie is out the bottle.
“Workers can’t be expected to accept real-term pay cuts as shareholders and bosses get richer and richer. So, if the strike is to be averted there needs to be more real money put on the table to make a decent pay rise.”
Unite regional officer Wayne King said: “Unite is entering into the talks in good faith but Heathrow Airports Ltd needs to be aware that unless it is prepared to improve the pay offer to our members then there is no chance of the strike beginning on Friday being postponed.”
Earlier this week Heathrow announced contingency plans to keep the airport operating over the strike period, including bringing in 1,000 extra members of staff. It said managers would also help out in terminals.
It said its plans would keep the airport "operating as normal" throughout. However planning to travel were warned of delays going through security.
In the event of the strike going ahead, passengers are being urged to check their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport, and arriving no earlier than two hours before short-haul flights and three hours before long-haul flights. Heathrow said they should also be ready for security with liquids and electronics out of their hand luggage.
