Heathrow security guards to strike over Easter in pay dispute

ITV News' Political Correspondent Libby Wiener reports on the strike action disrupting services

Security guards at Heathrow Airport are to strike over Easter in a dispute over pay.

Unite said more than 1,400 of its members employed by Heathrow Airports Ltd (HAL) will take 10 days of strike action from March 31 after voting in favour of walkouts.

The strike action involves security guards employed at Terminal Five.

It comes as Passport Office workers are set to walk out on strike for five weeks during peak holiday travel periods, in an escalation of a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Workers at Heathrow Airport are on poverty wages while the chief executive and senior managers enjoy huge salaries. It is the airport's workers who are fundamental to its success and they deserve a fair pay increase.

"Our members are simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages paid by Heathrow. They are being forced to take strike action due to need not greed.

"Unite has a laser-like focus on prioritising the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and HAL needs to be in no doubt that the workers at the airport will receive the union's unstinting support."

The airport said it has contingency plans in place to deal with the action.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: "Passengers can be reassured that we have contingency plans which will keep the airport open and operational despite unnecessary threats of strike action by Unite.

"We have proposed an inflation-beating 10% increase in pay which the public will recognise is fair and a majority of our colleagues have told Unite is not worth striking over. We urge Unite to come back to the table to discuss implementing it.

"Threatening to ruin people's hard-earned holidays with strike action will not improve the deal. We want to do the right thing by our people and our passengers, each day only delays this pay rise reaching Unite members' pockets."