Thousands of workers at London’s Heathrow Airport have announced planned strike action next month as they accuse the airport of planning to ‘fire and rehire; 4,000 on ‘vastly reduced pay.’
Four days of action have been planned. They are as follows:
- Tuesday, December 1st: The first 24-hour strike
- Monday, December 14th: A second 24-hour strike
- Thursday, December 17th through Friday, December 18th: A 48-hour-long strike
Self-proclaimed as ‘UK’s principal aviation union,’ Unite consists of a wide range of workers, including firefighters, engineers, campus security, baggage operations, operational and airside workers. 85% of union members voted in favor of taking industrial action.
The airport is trying to force workers to accept permanent pay cuts of up to £8,000 per annum, the equivalent of $10,500 (a quarter of their total pay).
In its press release, the union said, “Unite’s announcement of strike dates follows a decision by Heathrow to inflict even more misery on its workforce.”