Fifty plane refuellers working at Heathrow airport will strike for 72 hours from 4 Could, that means potential chaos on one of many busiest journey intervals of the yr.
The motion, a part of a dispute over phrases and situations for brand spanking new workers, has been timed to hit travellers over the early Could financial institution vacation.
These participating are members of the Unite union working for AFS Aviation. The union says they refuel plane for 35 airways at Heathrow, together with Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and Air France, and warns the strikes “are more likely to result in extreme disruption to airline providers for passengers”.
AFS Aviation additionally providers the three greatest US airways – American, Delta and United – in addition to Air Canada and Singapore Airways.
The dispute is over decreased pension and illness advantages for brand spanking new workers recruited for the reason that begin of the yr, resulting in what the union calls a “two-tier workforce.”
The Unite normal secretary, Sharon Graham, mentioned: “AFS is behaving appallingly by attacking the T&Cs of recent members of workers – these it views as the simplest to intimidate.
“However Unite is not going to stand for such bully-boy ways and we can be backing our members of their combat for improved pensions and sick pay for all workers.”
Unite regional officer Kevin Corridor added: “Our members recognise that if they permit this assault on their situations to happen, earlier than lengthy this may turn into the norm. Unite gained’t enable that to occur and is standing agency with our members on the picket line.
“AFS must reply on to the airways and passengers for the disruption brought on by their unmerited actions.”
The Impartial has requested Heathrow airport, Virgin Atlantic and Emirates for remark.
An analogous 72-hour strike was referred to as by the Unite union involving the identical team of workers in July 2022, over a peak summer season weekend. However the dispute was settled earlier than the motion began after an improved pay provide was made.
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