Striking transport workers are now as much a part of British culture as complaining about the weather or grabbing a cup of tea to kill time at work. So, it won’t surprise you to find out that several more strikes at Heathrow airport have been announced.
Following the train strikes that were announced the other day and the news last week that Heathrow’s border force workers will strike, now more of the airport’s employees are walking out. Refuelling staff will now also strike over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Here’s everything you need to know about all the strikes.
When are the Heathrow border strikes?
Heathrow border force workers will walk out for four days between April 29 and May 2.
When are Heathrow’s refuelling workers striking?
Refuelling staff will strike for 72 hours from May 4-6.
Which airlines will be affected by the Heathrow strikes?
According to Sky News, this is the full list of airlines which will be impacted by the refuelling staff walk-out.
- Air Canada
- American Airlines
- United Airlines
- Delta
- Virgin Atlantic
- Japan Airlines
- Emirates
- Qantas
- Elal
- Singapore Airlines
- Korean Airlines
- Air France
- KLM
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Jet Blue
- Lot (Polish)
- Royal Air Maroc
- Middle East Airlines
- Sas (Scandinavian)
- Tap Air Portugal
- Malta Airlines
- DHL
- Aero Mexico
- Latam Airlines
- Air India
- Logan Air
- Bulgarian Air
- Uzbekistan
- China Airlines
- Air Mauritius
- Turkmenistan
- Avianca
- Asiana
- Saudi
- Tianjin Airlines
- Beijing Capital
- Rwanda Air
Why are Heathrow workers striking?
Border force workers will down tools to protest proposed job cuts from the Home Office. The strikes have been called by the Public and Commercial Services trade union (PCS), who said: ‘The Home Office should be doing all it can to retain experienced, trained staff — not lose them by introducing an unworkable new roster system.’
Refuelling employees are walking out over ‘drastic cuts’ to terms and conditions for new staff members since January. The staff work for AFS, a joint venture of several fuel companies.
Can I get compensation if a flight is affected by strikes?
Because the upcoming strikes are from airport employees (not airline staff), airlines do not have to pay out compensation if flights are delayed or cancelled.
For cancelled flights, airlines have a duty to either offer an alternative flight or offer a refund.
For delays of two hours or more (for short-haul flights, the delay has to be longer for longer-haul routes), airlines have a duty of care to provide things like refreshments and a means of communication (Wi-Fi, internet data etc).
Is the Heathrow Express affected by the strikes?
The Heathrow Express isn’t expected to be impacted by any of the strike action at Heathrow.
What’s been said about the strikes?
The border force strikes had originally been planned for earlier this month, but were called off due to the possibility that an agreement could be reached, but after talks broke down the union has decided to proceed with next week's walk outs.
The new roster system was due to begin on April 29, and after talks left union representatives unsatisfied it was decided that industrial action was needed. In announcing the strike, PCS explained: ‘Members have expressed heartbreak at being forced out of the job that they have undertaken in Border Force for years.’
According to the union’s general secretary, Fran Heathcote: ‘While not everyone will be affected, the changes will disproportionately hit those who are disabled or have caring responsibilities.’
Should the Home Office fail to meet the wishes of PCS, the four-day strike will be followed with a period of work-to-rule until May 18, where staff will do only the bare minimum that they are contractually obliged to do.
The Home Office is not hugely pleased with these measures. A spokesperson said: ‘The changes we are implementing will bring the working arrangements for Border Force Heathrow staff in line with the way staff work at other ports, provide them with more certainty on working patterns, and improve the service to the travelling public.’
About the refuelling strikes, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘AFS is behaving appallingly by attacking the T&Cs of new members of staff – those it views as the easiest to intimidate.’
Unite regional officer Kevin Hall also said: ‘AFS will have to answer directly to the airlines and passengers for the disruption caused by their unmerited actions.’
All of this to say – if you’re heading on a springtime break soon and travelling through Heathrow, give yourself a little bit of extra time to mind the missing staff. The refuelling strike in particular could cause some cancellations and lengthy delays, so be sure to check your flight status before you travel.
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