Blow for football fans travelling to World Cup as workers at major UK airport threaten to go on strike in row over pay
AIRLINE workers are threatening to inflict misery on football fans heading to Qatar for the World Cup.
More than 700 ground-handling, transport and cargo staff at Heathrow are today voting to strike over pay.
The walk-out is planned to start just before the World Cup kicks off on November 20.
Qatari Airlines, which has scheduled 10 additional flights a week during the tournament, would be badly affected.
Virgin, Singapore Airlines, Cathay-Pacific and Emirates would also be hit.
The strike is being organised by the Unite union and involves contractors from Menzies and Dnata.
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Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Both Dnata and Menzies can easily afford to make our members a fair pay offer and should do so.
“No matter how the employers present the offers on the table, they are substantial real-terms pay cuts and unacceptable to our members.
“Unite is dedicated to defending and enhancing our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and the workers at Heathrow will receive the union’s complete support.”
The majority of flights from Heathrow’s terminals 2, 3 and 4 would be severely disrupted by the strike.
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Balloting begins today and closes on November 3.
Dnata has offered its workers a five per cent pay increase while the offers for Menzies workers vary between two and six per cent.
Unite said the offers are “far below the real rate of inflation, which currently stands at 12.3 per cent”.
Kevin Hall, from the union, said: “Strike action will inevitably cause severe disruption and delays across Heathrow, especially for football supporters travelling to the World Cup.
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“However, this dispute is entirely of Dnata’s and Menzies’ own making and they know what to do to resolve this, which is to make our members a fair pay offer.”
It follows a summer of travel nightmares caused by strikes affecting trains, planes, tubes and ferries.