Heathrow Airport strike dates: when security staff will walk out over summer - terminals and airlines affected

The first in 31 days of strike action at Heathrow Airport have been cancelled as the union representing security staff considers a new pay offer.

More than 2,000 security staff at Terminal 5, Terminal 3 and on the airport campus were due to begin three months of weekend walkouts on 24 and 25 June but the Unite union said it was suspending the action after receiving an improved offer from employer Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL). It, however, did not make any commitment to calling off future strikes, due to take place throughout July and August.

Unite said it was suspending the first strikes as a "gesture of goodwill" after receiving the new pay offer. Its members will now be balloted on the new deal before the union makes a decision on whether to press ahead with the planned strikes

The union says it is taking action over the “poverty wages” paid by the airport, which have left staff facing a real-terms pay cut of 24% since 2017.

When are the Heathrow summer strikes?

While the first two days of strikes have now been suspended, Unite still has 29 more days of action scheduled.

Unless they vote to accept the new offer, workers will strike on:

• 28, 29 and 30 June
• 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 31 July
• 4, 5, 6 , 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, and 27 August

These dates include Eid festival (28, 29 and 30 June), the beginning of the school holidays (21, 22, 23 and 24 July) and the August bank holiday (24, 25, 26 and 27 August).

Annoucing the 31 days of strikes, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is putting Heathrow on notice that strike action at the airport will continue until it makes a fair pay offer to its workers. Make no mistake, our members will receive the union’s unflinching support in this dispute.

“HAL [Heathrow Airport Limited] has got its priorities all wrong. This is an incredibly wealthy company, which this summer is anticipating bumper profits and an executive pay bonanza. It’s also expected to pay out huge dividends to shareholders, yet its workers can barely make ends meet and are paid far less than workers at other airports.”

Which terminals and airlines are affected?

Earlier rounds of strike action at Heathrow have involved campus security, who are responsible for searching all personnel and vehicles entering the airport site, and staff at Terminal 5, which exclusively serves British Airways.

However, the upcoming action will also involve security guards at Terminal 3, which serves Virgin, Emirates, Qatar, United, American and Delta, covering routes across most parts of the globe.

Previous strikes at T5 saw staff drafted in from other terminals to minimise disruption but with staff at two terminals walking out resources are expected to be even more stretched, leading to delays and long queues.

Unite regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King said: “Delays, disruption and cancellations will be inevitable as a result of the strike action. But this dispute is completely of HAL’s own making.

“The company has been given numerous opportunities to make an offer that meets our members’ expectations and so avoid another period of damaging strike action. Sadly, HAL has stubbornly refused to take this opportunity.”

Why are security staff striking?

The union said that the latest pay offer of a 10% increase in the face of inflation at 11.4%, combined with several years of pay freezes, amounted to a pay cut that left workers struggling to make ends meet. Airport bosses say the deal is an "inflation-matching" offer that also includes an additional lump sum payment.

Unite says staff at Heathrow, who earn an average of £30,000 including shift allowances, face an "indefensible" pay gap between them and security staff at other, smaller airports. According to its analysis, security officers at Stansted and Gatwick airports are paid between £5,000 and £6,000 more than those at Heathrow.

Following Unite's suspension of the 24 and 25 June strikes, a Heathrow spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have agreed a pay deal which unions are recommending their members to accept. This a great deal for colleagues, giving them two years of guaranteed above inflation pay rises, alongside further benefits and assurances that they told us they wanted.

“We encourage them to accept the deal so that everyone can have certainty and the backdated pay increase that so many have been waiting for.

During the first strikes in the Easter holidays, BA cancelled hundreds of flights but Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said the airport had contingency plans in place should strikes go ahead over the summer. He said: “We have delivered excellent service to passengers, with no cancellations, over eight days of strikes on the busiest days in May, and do not anticipate cancellations as a result of strikes during the summer holiday getaway.”

During previous strikes, the airport’s contingency plans have included deploying office staff to assist passengers entering security checkpoints.