Heathrow strikes could ‘shut down the airport’ this Friday – and there are more dates planned for August
HUNDREDS of thousands of Brits are set to face travel chaos at Heathrow this weekend as strikes that could "shut down the airport" begin on Friday.
And right now, there are further strike dates planned for August.
Heathrow predicts that 500,000 passengers will be travelling through the airport on Friday July 26 and Saturday July 27.
The strikes over pay was announced by Unite the union earlier this month.
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".
Over 90 firefighters and fire and rescue staff working at Heathrow have voted to join the strikes from August as well in a dispute over pay .
The firefighters and fire and rescue staff will be striking on the same dates as other Heathrow staff - on Monday August 5, Tuesday August 6, Friday August 23 and Saturday August 24.
Unite regional officer Russ Bull said: “Bosses at Heathrow Airport need to heed this massive vote in favour of strike action by a group of workers who are essential to the airport’s safety.
“They need to seize the window of opportunity that talks at the conciliation service Acas offer and work with Unite to resolve this pay dispute. The disruption of strike action can be avoided, but only if Heathrow Airport bosses start listening to staff across the airport.
“Workers who are essential to the smooth and safe running of Heathrow are sick and tired of bosses pleading poverty and being told to accept a pittance of a pay rise, while shareholders receive billions in dividends and the chief executive pockets a pay rise of 103.2 per cent.
“Our members do not take strike action lightly, but they have grown increasingly frustrated. This is a dispute which could have been sorted months ago. It is time Heathrow Airport started talking seriously about a fair pay rise which recognises the vital role they play in keeping passengers on the move.”
STRUCK OUT Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted Airport strikes that could cause travel chaos for Brits this summer
A Heathrow spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: “We remain hopeful that further talks with our unions at ACAS will result in a new agreement that avoids this unnecessary strike action.
"Heathrow is proud of its record as a good employer, offering competitive pay packages higher than the UK airport average with pay increases in line with RPI.
“The proposed strikes have been designed to impact passengers taking well-earned holidays.
"To mitigate this, we will be implementing contingency plans to minimise disruption and ensure the airport remains open and operating safely throughout any coordinated action.
"Passengers are advised to keep in touch with their airlines for the latest information on their flight and follow our Twitter and Facebook accounts for further updates.”
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.
The airport said that talks between Heathrow and the union will resume on Wednesday afternoon.
Heathrow previously said that it was proposing a 4.6 per cent pay increase for 70 per cent of its frontline staff, with the remainder to receive 3.2 per cent increase over 18 months.
A spokesperson for the airport added: "The total package offered is above RPI and is specifically designed to boost the wages of lower paid colleagues."
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There are a number of other strikes that could affect Brits this summer.
Ryanair pilots are currently voting on whether or not to strike.
BA pilots have also voted for strike action although the dates have yet to be confirmed.