MONDAY 5 AUGUST 2019Heathrow strike threat paused
as talks continue
Strike could still go ahead tomorrow, leading to more cancelled flights (Reuters)
SIMON CALDER
TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT
With less than six hours before an unprecedented strike was due to begin at Heathrow, a temporary truce
was reached yesterday between the airport management and the Unite union.
Talks to settle the bitter pay dispute between 4,000 workers – including security guards, firefighters and
engineers – and Heathrow went on all weekend ahead of a strike that was due to begin at one minute past
midnight on this morning.
Yesterday evening, the industrial action planned for today was suspended – though a strike could still take
place tomorrow. While the airport insists it is an excellent employer, the union says the massive profits
Heathrow earns should be more equitably distributed – claiming that the airport’s chief executive, John
Holland-Kaye, earns as much in two days as some of his employees do in a year.
Unite instructed its members to report for work today, but still plans a walkout tomorrow – as well as 23
and 24 August, the start of the bank holiday weekend in England and Wales, and two extremely busy days.