Heathrow Airport strike: Workers announce strikes for July and August that could ruin your summer travel plans
BRITS travelling this summer could face chaos as staff working at Heathrow Airport have now announced that they will be striking.
There are various dates this summer, starting from July 26.
The strikes over pay was announced by .
It said that over 4,000 workers, including security guards, engineers, passenger service operatives and passenger service drivers, are set to walk out over the coming months.
The dates are Friday July 26 and Saturday July 27, Monday August 5 and Tuesday August 6, and Friday August 23 and Saturday August 24.
According to the union, the walkout "could potentially shut down the airport".
Commenting Unite regional coordinating officer Wayne King said: “There is deepening anger over pay among workers who are essential to the smooth running of Heathrow Airport.
“They are fed up of being expected to accept crumbs while the chief executive pockets an eye popping 103 per cent rise in his pay package and shareholders are handed dividends of over £2 billion in the last two years alone.
“To add insult to injury there are widening pay disparities leading to airport security guards employed after 2014 earning up to £6,000 less than colleagues hired before that date.
FLIGHT FIGHT How to claim compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled
A Heathrow spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: “We are disappointed that Unite will be taking strike action.
"Following this decision, we will be implementing contingency plans that will ensure the airport remains open and operating safely throughout any coordinated action.
"We will be working alongside our airline partners to minimise disruption caused to passengers as they look towards their well-deserved summer holidays.
"We are proud of our record as a good employer and we remain committed to finding a solution.
"We have proposed a progressive pay package giving at least a 4.6 per cent pay rise to over 70 per cent of our frontline colleagues.
"The total package offered is above RPI and is specifically designed to boost the wages of lower paid colleagues.
"We have invited our union colleagues back to the table and urge them to continue working with us to reach an agreement.”
Will I get my money back if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
If your flight is cancelled, you have the legal right to either a full refund within seven days or a replacement flight to your destination.
This applies for whatever reason your flight was cancelled or how long before you were told it would no longer be be flying.
If your flight is delayed by three hours or more and you were flying to or from a European airport, or with an EU-based airline such as Ryanair or British Airways, then you can claim compensation up to €250 (£229) for short-haul flights and €400 (£367) for mid-haul flights and €600 (£530) for long-haul flights.
But the airline might not payout if it's out of their control, for example, due to bad weather or strikes.
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The Heathrow announcement comes just after staff working at Gatwick said they were voting on whether or not to strike.
While at London Stansted, 17 days of strikes have been announced by staff working at easyJet check-in counters.