Following the start of strike action at Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) last Friday, labour union Unite has vowed to continue, in a bitter dispute over the company’s decision to fire and rehire its entire workforce on vastly inferior wages and conditions.
The strike is part of at least a month of disruption at the airport. Unite, the UK’s principal aviation union, which represents the workers at HAL, is continuing strike action on February 9 (today), 13, 16 and 18. It is expected that further action will be announced in the future.
This after four days of disruption in December as part of the dispute.
It’s in response to HAL’s decision to fire and rehire its workforce, with workers experiencing permanent pay cuts of up to 25% (£8 000 per annum).
“The cuts have resulted in HAL overnight going from offering the best pay and conditions for workers in airports, to being among the worst payers,” according to the union, which has accused HAL of “cynically” using the cover of the Covid-19 pandemic to force through long-held plans to cut pay.
Unite is taking a flexible approach with different groups of workers embarking on strike action at different times.
The targeted strike will involve firefighters, engineers, campus security, baggage operations, central terminal operations, landside and airside operations.
Unite regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King said: “HAL has brutally stripped workers of their pay and left many of them unable to make ends meet.
“With workers being forced to downsize and give up their cars, it is not surprising that they are determined to step up industrial action.
“HAL’s motives from the outset have been all about greed and not about need. If this was linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on aviation, then cuts to pay would be temporary and not permanent."
