Unite the Union announced on 18 April that around 1,400 security screeners at Heathrow Airport will stage a series of weekend walk-outs from mid-June through late August after rejecting the airport’s latest pay offer. The industrial action, covering Terminal 5 and campus central search areas, threatens to coincide with the start of UK school holidays and the August bank-holiday peak. Heathrow said it has contingency plans and will keep passenger disruption ‘to a minimum’, but travel management companies are already warning clients to allow extra time for security checks or route high-value staff via regional airports. Airlines may be forced to consolidate early-morning departures—when security lanes are busiest—to protect long-haul waves. Unite claims Heathrow guards earn up to £5,000 less than counterparts at Gatwick or Stansted and argues that a robust pay rise is affordable after record passenger numbers in the first quarter. The airport counters that its offer would lift average pay to £39,000 and restore pandemic-related cuts. If no deal is reached, the strikes could test the Border Force’s capacity, as the Home Office already expects heavier manual-processing loads linked to summer ETAs and increased EES-related checks on inbound travellers. Employers sending staff through Heathrow in June-August should monitor strike dates closely and consider the Fast Track Security product or flexible ticketing options.
Source: London Daily
