Football fans heading to Doha this weekend may face potential disruption as 350 Menzies employees based at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) walk out in a dispute over pay.
Further Details
350 Unite-affiliated employees are expected to join the picket line after discussions with the ground handling contractor stalled. The union has criticized Menzies for failing to offer a pay increase in line with the current real inflation rate of 14.2%, describing it as a “substantial real terms pay cut.”
The 72-hour strike will run through until 04:00 on Monday 21st, impacting flights at Heathrow Terminals 2, 3, and 4. Major airlines, including American Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, TAP Air Portugal, and Finnair, are expected to be hit hardest by the walkout.
“The strike action will inevitably cause serious delays for passengers at Heathrow but this dispute is entirely of Menzies own making. It has had every opportunity to make our members’ a fair pay offer, but it has stubbornly refused to do so,” said Unite regional officer Kevin Hall.
In a statement provided to Simple Flying, a spokesperson for Heathrow Airport noted that flight cancelations are not anticipated, with affected carriers implementing “robust” contingency plans. Passengers are still advised to check their flight status with their airline before traveling.
Despite earlier concerns, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Singapore Airlines will no longer be affected after action planned by fellow ground handlers at Dnata was called off following the acceptance of an improved pay offer, halving the initially expected strike turnout. Menzies cargo and trucking staff affiliated with GMB have also suspended action pending a ballot on a “significantly improved” offer.
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Response from Menzies
Similar action planned for February this year was canceled following a last-minute deal between the contractor and union members to overturn pay freezes implemented during the pandemic. Unite and GMB members accepted the 7% pay increase backdated to January 1, 2022, though a subsequent pay review was planned for May.
In a statement published by Travel Weekly, Menzies executive vice president Miguel Gomez Sjunnesson explained that the contractor was “ready and willing to meet with Unite” to discuss the deal agreed with GMB, which it considers to be in the best interest of its employees.
“Following further discussions this week regarding pay increases for our Heathrow ground handling workforce, we are pleased to have reached a positive position with GMB who represent the majority of this workforce.
“Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Unite who continue to be obstructive and push for unnecessary strike action rather than provide any realistic counter offers for consideration, which will benefit no-one and only delay the process.”
Unite is the largest union by membership in the United Kingdom, representing a significant portion of workers employed at Heathrow Airport. The union has consistently criticized many Heathrow contractors for failure to provide pay raises amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
In October, a planned strike by American Airlines maintenance technicians and crew chiefs backed by Unite was called off after securing a three-year pay deal amounting to 19%.
The airport has notably faced a swathe of disruptions through 2022, only recently dropping its daily passenger cap following limited capacity through the summer holiday. No caps are planned to be implemented this winter.
What are your thoughts on this week's strike action? Have your travel plans been affected
Source: Travel Weekly
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London Heathrow Airport
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- LHR-EGLL
- Country:
- United Kingdom
- CEO:
- John Holland-Kaye
- Passenger Count :
- 19,392,178 (2021)
- Runways :
- 09L/27R - 3,902m (12,802ft) | 09R/27L - 3,660m (12,008ft)
- Terminals:
- Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 | Terminal 4 | Terminal 5
