Wake up call

Unite is urging Heathrow bosses to recognise the sizeable discontent that remains among security staff, engineers and firefighters at the UK’s largest airport over holiday pay and imposed cuts to terms and conditions.

Today’s (October 18) call came after Unite members across all three groups of workers backed industrial action. However, because of the Tory’s anti-trade union laws, security guards, who voted 69.8 per cent in favour of strike action, will be unable, legally to take action to defend their terms and conditions because they narrowly missed out on the artificial 50 per cent turn-out threshold by two per cent.

Unite has said that the union’s reps will be meeting in the coming days to discuss the next steps, in the meantime Heathrow bosses should take this vote as a wake-up call and get back around the table.

 
“Today’s result should be a massive wake-up call to Heathrow bosses,” said Unite regional officer Wayne King. “They need to recognise the sizeable discontent that exists among its staff and start negotiating with the union to repair the serious breakdown in industrial relations.

“It is shameful that the Tory’s anti-trade union laws are giving bad bosses licence to impose damaging cuts and changes to terms and conditions without union agreement,” he added.

“Our members are highly skilled professionals, working in safety critical roles. They keep Heathrow safe, but feel badly let down by the high handed way they’ve been treated.

“Unite reps will be meeting in the coming days to discuss next steps, in the meantime we are urging Heathrow bosses to heed this warning and get back around the negotiating table to hammer out a deal on the outstanding issues.”