British Airways set for ‘summer of strikes’ at London’s Heathrow
- Travellers already faced lengthy delays and cancellations of hundreds of flights as airports struggle to cope with staff shortages and post-pandemic demand
- At the same time much of Britain’s rail network is being stifled by industrial action over demands workers’ pay increases to keep pace with surging inflation
British Airways staff at London’s Heathrow airport voted on Thursday to strike over pay, threatening disruption at one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs during an already chaotic summer for air travellers.
Air passengers across Europe have already faced lengthy delays and cancellations of hundreds of flights in recent weeks as airports struggle to cope with a shortage of trained staff and strong post-pandemic demand.
Any strike at Heathrow is likely to add to the pressure.
The proposed industrial action relates to less than half of the airline’s Heathrow-based check-in and ground staff in largely customer-facing roles, including assisting passengers and handling baggage.
The GMB union said 95 per cent of BA staff at Heathrow airport who voted backed strike action after BA failed to roll back a 10 per cent pay cut imposed during the pandemic. Around 700 workers had been balloted, of whom 80 per cent voted.
The strike would likely take place during the peak summer holiday period over the next two months, GMB said, warning Heathrow would likely face a “summer of strikes”. Workers must give two weeks’ notice to BA before carrying out any strike.