A strike by ground staff at London’s Heathrow airport is scheduled to begin Tuesday if last-ditch talks with union representatives fail to resolve a pay dispute.
The Unite union suspended a walkout scheduled for Monday, according to a post on Twitter, saying it would resume talks at Britain’s state-backed Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. Labor action scheduled for Tuesday would span 24 hours from midnight local time, it said. About 88% of union members voted to strike, suggesting about 2,500 people could walk out.
On Monday, 16 of 676 scheduled departures were scrapped, according to the airport, with five more moved to other London terminals. Heathrow’s website said the Tuesday walkout is still due to go ahead and that “the vast majority of flights will be unaffected.”
The threat of travel upheaval at Heathrow adds to risks at British Airways, where a separate dispute over pay between management and pilots may also lead to strikes. The airline, a unit of IAG SA, is scheduled to hold a new round of negotiations with pilots this week. Their union, the British Airline Pilots Association, or Balpa, has so far refrained from setting any date for a walkout. It has to give two weeks notice.
Heathrow, which is Europe’s busiest air hub, had originally canceled 177 services for Monday and Tuesday. After the Monday walkout was called off, British Airways, Heathrow’s biggest carrier, said it would reinstate services, while Air Canada, BA sister company Aer Lingus and Etihad Airways are among operators also planning a full schedule, according to the British Broadcasting Corp.
Heathrow said it was working with airlines to minimize potential disruption Tuesday. A spokesperson said it was too early to provide any estimates of the number of flights that might be affected.
The labor conflicts and potential travel upheaval at the height of the summer season come with Heathrow and BA also facing pressure from a possible no-deal Brexit that could damp travel as Britons curb spending due to the weaker pound.
