Workers at Heathrow to strike in World Cup run-up
Strike action by hundreds of workers at Heathrow Airport could hit football fans heading to the World Cup in Qatar, a union has warned.
Unite said 700 workers who work in the ground handling, airside transport and cargo side of the airport will go on strike for three days from 18 November.
It said the strike action would cause disruption and delays at Heathrow terminals 2, 3 and 4.
The staff, employed by Dnata and Menzies, are calling for higher pay.
The World Cup is set to begin in Qatar on 20 November and the union said it expected Qatar Airways, which has put on extra flights for football fans, to be “hit heavily” by the strike action.
She added: “Both companies are highly profitable and can fully afford to make a fair pay increase.”
The union said other airlines, including Virgin, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates will also be affected.
Passengers traveling to the United States for the Thanksgiving holiday might also be hit.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We are aware of proposed industrial action from Dnata and Menzies colleagues at Heathrow, and we are in discussions with our airline partners on what contingency plans they can implement to support their ground handling should the strike go ahead.”
The spokesperson added that the airport’s priority is to ensure passengers are not disrupted by any shortages of airline ground handlers.
They were largely caused by staff shortages in the aviation industry. Airports and airlines, which cut jobs at the height of the pandemic, have struggled to recruit staff as demand for international travel has returned.
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