London Heathrow airport staffers working for handling agent Menzies will go ahead with a 72-hour strike starting next Friday 16 December. Union Unite blames Menzies for offering its employees a “miserable” pay.
The dispute involves over 400 workers employed by Menzies as ground handlers operating from Heathrow terminals 2, 3 and 4.
Another 72-hour strike is planned to begin on Thursday 29 December and end at 03:59 on Sunday 1 January.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a classic case of an employer that can fully afford to pay workers a fair pay increase but has chosen not to.
“Menzies needs to stop making excuses and make a pay offer that meets our members’ expectations.”
Airlines affected
Strike action held last month by Menzies ground handlers caused considerable disruption and delays to flights across Heathrow. Air Canada, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Air Portugal, Austrian Airlines, Qantas, Egypt Air, Aer Lingus and Finnair were some of the most affected airlines.
The post-Christmas stoppage will also coincide with the planned walkout by Border Force Staff.
Miserable pay
The workers have decisively rejected Menzies’ latest pay offer of a four per cent increase backdated to May and then a further 6.5 per cent pay increase from 1 January 2023. The workers are seeking an increase of 13 per cent for 2022 alone.
Menzies operates globally and it is highly lucrative: Its latest accounts reveal it made a profit of £69 million.
Fresh disruption
Unite regional officer Kevin Hall said: “Heathrow passengers need to brace themselves for fresh disruption at the airport purely because of Menzies intransigence.
“Strike action is being taken as a last resort because Menzies has only been prepared to offer our members a miserable pay increase that in no way reflects the cost of living.”
The Unite union announced that the strike is suspended after it received a better proposal from the airport authorities.
This post was published on 15 December 2022 12:49
Athens has signed a deal with Airbus Helicopters for eight H215 helicopters, with options for…
Air France-KLM began 2025 with a €161 million year-on-year improvement in operating result, bringing Q1…
Lufthansa has operated its first-ever Airbus A380 flight to Denver, marking a milestone for both…
KLM Group reported €2.9 billion in revenue for Q1 2025, up 8% year-on-year, while narrowing…
Boeing announced that its 787 Dreamliner fleet has carried over 1 billion passengers, achieving the…
Global air travel demand rose by 3.3% year-on-year in March 2025, slightly up from February’s…