Heathrow airport faces a summer of strikes after hundreds of BA workers voted for industrial action. 

A total of 95 per cent of those who voted said they were prepared to strike, on a turnout of more than 80 per cent. Industrial action dates will be confirmed in the coming days but are likely to be during the peak summer holiday period.  

 

Workers are angry after a ten per cent pay cut imposed on them during the pandemic has not been reinstated – despite bosses having their pre-covid pay rates reinstated. While other BA workers have been given a 10 per cent bonus, the check in staff have had nothing.  

Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, said: "With grim predictability, holiday makers face massive disruption thanks to the pig-headedness of British Airways. 

“BA have tried to offer our members crumbs from the table in the form of a 10 per cent one off bonus payment, but this doesn’t cut the mustard. Our members need to be reinstated the 10 per cent they had stolen from them last year with full back pay and the 10% bonus which other colleagues have been paid. 

“GMB members at Heathrow have suffered untold abuse as they deal with the travel chaos caused by staff shortages and IT failures. At the same time, they’ve had their pay slashed during BA’s callous fire and rehire policy. 

“What did BA think was going to happen? It’s not too late to save the summer holidays – other BA workers have had their pay cuts reversed, do the same for ground and check in staff and this industrial action can be nipped in the bid.”