
Families flying abroad for Christmas face strikes at Heathrow airport, with baggage handlers set to walk out for three days just as the end of the school term triggers a mass exodus via the London hub.
About 350 staff at Menzies Aviation, which provides ground-handling services for carriers including American Airlines and Deutsche Lufthansa AG, will strike from Dec. 16, the Unite union said in a statement Friday. The action will affect three Heathrow terminals as workers push for a pay rise.
The UK has been hit by a wave of strikes as labor groups campaign for pay deals matching inflation, with further action planned by rail, postal, and health workers every day in the run-up to Christmas. Unite says Menzies handlers haven’t received a 9.5% raise promised to the firm’s cargo workers at Heathrow.
The airport said in a statement that it’s aware of the industrial action at Menzies and is encouraging affected parties to continue with their contingency planning to minimize the impact on passengers.