Heathrow engineers, security guards and firefighters are planning strike action, which could happen over the Easter holidays.
The 3,000 staff who are members of Unite union have turned down a 10% pay increase, arguing this is below the current rate of inflation, which stands at 13.4%.
Unite claims that its members were fired and rehired by Heathrow in the pandemic, while Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye saw his pay rise from £700,000 to £1.5m.
“Heathrow Airport is guilty of gross hypocrisy, it is paying telephone number salaries to its chief executive and senior managers, but the workers who make the company a success are on poverty wages.
“Unite never takes a backward step when fighting for its members’, jobs, pay and conditions and our members at Heathrow Airport will receive the union’s complete support.” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.
The strike ballot opens this week and ends on Friday 17 March. If members vote for industrial action, the earliest it could begin would be 31 March, as the union is required to give the airport at least two weeks’ notice of a strike.
