The security personnel at London Heathrow Airport have announced that they will go on strike during the Easter holidays.
According to the reports, beginning from Friday, March 31, workers at Terminal 5, British Airways' main entrance, will go on strike for ten days over salary.
The airport offered a 10% pay increase, but Unite employees rejected it because they believed it would result in a real pay cut. At the bustling terminal, 1,400 security personnel are on strike till April 9.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union,
states that Heathrow workers are on "poverty wages while the chief
executive and senior managers enjoy huge salaries".
She said that Unite members are "simply unable
to make ends meet due to the low wages" and they are striking "due to
need, not greed".
However, Heathrow claims backup procedures will be
in place to keep the airport running. Heathrow assured travelers that the
airport will be "open and operational despite unnecessary threats of
strike action by Unite".
Due to the need to shift resources from other
locations, Heathrow may experience delays and long lines, which could affect
Easter travel. There are concerns that some people's passports won't be
processed in time for the summer vacations as a result of over 1,000 Passport
Office employees going on strike for five weeks over issues related to their
jobs, wages, and working conditions.
Simon Calder, a travel industry expert, states that the Passport Office receives up to 250,000 applications per week, which translates to a potential one million applications during the strike. The strike, according to the Home Office, has no effect on its guidelines, which give applicants up to 10 weeks to obtain a passport. To accommodate demand, plans are being made.
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