Uk Airport Strikes: What You Need To Know

UK airport strikes have caused travel chaos in recent years, with airlines, airports, and rail services struggling to manage demand. In 2023, border force workers at Heathrow Airport went on strike over pay and working conditions, causing potential disruption to travellers. The cost of living crisis, caused by inflation and price hikes, has led to the latest sweep of walkouts across various industries in the UK, including airports. Heathrow Airport, in particular, has been affected by strikes, with security guards and border force staff walking out over pay and roster changes. These strikes have the potential to cause significant disruption to travellers, with the possibility of flight cancellations and delays.

Border Force staff striking over pay and working conditions

In 2022, Border Force staff announced they would strike over the busy festive period, causing potential disruption for hundreds of thousands of people. The government responded by training 600 soldiers to check passports, a decision that was criticised by Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, who called for the withdrawal of British forces from covering for striking workers. Serwotka urged the government to come forward with a new deal, stating that the strike could be avoided if the government improved its pay offer.

In 2023, Border Force workers continued to take industrial action, with staff walking out over several days in May and June. This caused longer queues and delays at passport control, impacting travellers on all airlines. The PCS union, which represents Border Force workers, said that the new roster system would result in job losses or changes and that remaining staff would face longer shifts and inflexible shift-swapping rules.

In August 2024, further strike action was announced by the PCS union, with around 650 UK Border Force members planning to take action at Heathrow Airport from 31 August to 3 September. This will be followed by a work-to-rule and overtime ban until 22 September, which may cause further disruption as the school holidays come to an end. The union has stated that the strike can be avoided if employers listen to the concerns of their members, which include enforced changes to staff rotas and a lack of flexibility.

Security guards striking over pay

Security guards at Heathrow Airport, the UK's busiest airport, have gone on strike over pay disputes. In March 2023, over 1400 members of the Unite union employed by Heathrow Airports Ltd (HAL) walked out for 10 days, causing travel chaos over the Easter holiday period. The industrial action involved security guards at Heathrow's Terminal 5, with workers mounting a picket outside the airport.

Unite's general secretary, Sharon Graham, stated that Heathrow could afford to pay a decent wage increase, calling it a “wealthy company". She highlighted the large salaries of the CEO and shareholders, while workers were on "poverty wages". Graham also mentioned that the average pay of Heathrow workers had fallen 24% in real terms since 2017.

In response, Heathrow claimed it had contingency plans in place to deal with the strike action and that the majority of workers did not support the strike. The airport proposed an inflation-beating 10% pay increase, urging Unite to reconsider and claiming that threatening holiday disruptions would not improve the deal.

The security guards at Heathrow Airport have continued to escalate their strike action, with over 2000 members of the Unite union walking out for 31 days from June to August 2023. This move could cause significant disruption during the busy summer travel season. The union has stated that the strike will continue until Heathrow makes a fair pay offer, and members will receive their unwavering support.

Impact on travellers and airlines

Strikes at Heathrow Airport, the UK's busiest airport, have the potential to cause travel chaos for millions of passengers. The airport has, however, managed previous strikes without significant disruption to passengers. For example, in 2023, security guards at Heathrow went on strike during the Easter break and the coronation of King Charles III, which Heathrow claims had "no impact" on the smooth running of the airport.

In 2024, a series of strikes by Border Force staff caused longer queues and delays at passport control, affecting all travellers on all airlines. The industrial action was in protest against proposed job cuts and roster changes from the Home Office. While these strikes did not result in flight cancellations, they caused significant inconvenience for travellers, who faced longer waiting times and potential delays in their journeys.

In the same year, Heathrow security officers announced a fresh wave of strikes over the summer, coinciding with busy travel periods such as the Eid festival, the start of the school holidays, and the August bank holiday. These strikes affected Terminals 3 and 5 and checks for non-passengers, leading to potential queues at security. The impact on travellers was unclear, with the BBC's transport correspondent stating that it was uncertain whether any airlines would cancel flights. However, travellers were advised to expect potential delays and disruptions to their journeys.

To minimise the impact of strikes, Heathrow often implements contingency plans to avoid disruption. For example, during the 2023 Heathrow strikes, the airport's CEO, John Holland-Kaye, announced that they did not anticipate any flight delays or cancellations. Additionally, travellers are advised to check their flight status regularly and arrive at the airport early to allow for potential delays. Checking the airport website for advice and staying updated on the latest strike information can help travellers navigate potential disruptions.

While strikes at Heathrow have varied impacts, they have the potential to cause significant disruption to travellers, leading to longer queues, delays, and possible flight cancellations. It is important for travellers to stay informed and prepared when travelling during strike periods to minimise the impact on their journeys.

Unions' demands and responses

In 2022, 700 workers at London's Heathrow Airport walked out in the run-up to the soccer World Cup, demanding better pay. The workers, who were involved in ground handling, airside transport, and cargo, were employed by Emirates Group's airport services subsidiary, dnata, and Menzies. The dnata workers were offered salaries that did not keep up with inflation and were not in line with the current boom in the industry. The company was also unwilling to negotiate, stating that the union was refusing to join discussions.

In 2023, border force workers across UK airports took action over pay and working conditions. In 2024, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) announced that around 650 UK border force members would take further strike action at Heathrow, this time over enforced changes to staff rotas. The PCS general secretary, Fran Heathcote, said that their members were being forced to choose between their jobs and their caring responsibilities, and that the strike could be avoided if the employer listened to their concerns.

Heathrow Airport responded to the 2024 strikes by stating that passengers should still aim to arrive no earlier than two hours before departure time for short-haul flights and three hours for long-haul. They also said that they were in talks with their airline partners to implement contingency plans to support their ground handling if the strikes went ahead.

In response to the 2022 strikes, dnata said that they were implementing contingency plans to minimise disruption and that they were committed to reaching a "mutually acceptable agreement for all parties". They also stated that the salary increase suggested by the union was irresponsible and would impact their business's ability to operate in the long term. Menzies, another company involved in the 2022 strikes, said that they were willing to continue pay discussions.

Previous and future strike dates

In August 2023, strikes were planned at Gatwick Airport, with workers and baggage handlers expected to walk out over several dates in August, including over the bank holiday weekend. However, these strikes were suspended. The planned strike dates were:

• Red Handling workers: 18-21 August and 25-28 August
• Wilson James workers: 18-20 August and 22-24 August

In May 2024, a three-day strike by hundreds of Border Force staff at Heathrow Airport took place. The strike started on 31 May and lasted until 2 June. This action was taken by members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) working on passport control at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5.

In August 2024, further strikes are planned at Heathrow Airport. On 16 August, the PCS announced that around 650 UK border force members would take strike action from 31 August to 3 September. This will be followed by a work-to-rule and overtime ban until 22 September, which may cause further disruption to travellers as the school holidays come to an end.

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