UK summer strikes: Your guide to the airline strikes that could wreck your holidays
You’re all set to go on your summer holiday. You’ve booked your hotel, filled every minute of the family itinerary with sight-seeing adventures, and you’ve sorted your flights.
Then you get the dreaded news – your airline, or airport, is going to be hit by UK summer strikes. And what’s more, they’re right on the date you’re due to fly.
We dearly hope this isn’t the case for your summer holiday. But we’ve compiled a list of all the summer airline strikes we know are happening so you can prepare in advance if your holiday plans are hit by the strike wrecking ball.
Maybe Devon doesn’t sound like such a bad idea for a getaway after all…
Stansted strike action
A series of August strikes planned by check-in staff at Stansted Airport have been called off, Unite the union has confirmed.
The strikes, which would have affected thousands of Easyjet passengers over August, have been cancelled after the union reached an agreement over pay.
Read more: London Stansted is the UK’s worst airport for flight delays
Unite regional officer Mark Barter said: “I am pleased to say that our members have voted to accept a new pay deal.
“As a result, all the planned strike action has been called off and our members will be working normally assisting passengers in getting away on their summer holidays.”
Stobart Aviation’s managing director, Graeme Undy, said the agreement had taken months to reach.
“This is an important agreement that will mean we can avoid airport disruption for holidaymakers and demonstrates our commitment to engaging, listening and acting in the interests of our people and our customers,” he added.
The industrial action was scheduled for 2-5 August, 9-12 August and 24-27 August, covering the bank holiday weekend.
Heathrow strike action
About 4,000 Unite staff at Heathrow, including security guards and engineers, have threatened to “shut down” the airport over several weekends in August, including Monday 5 August and Tuesday 6 August, and Friday 23 August and Saturday 24 August.
Unite dramatically called off the strike due on Monday, 5 August at the last minute yesterday.
Staff including security guards and firefighters were ready to walk out from midnight but talks will instead continue today.
Acas – a conciliation service – is brokering the discussions between the union and Heathrow airport.
The parties are trying to reach an agreement before tomorrow’s strike action begins.
Still, airlines advised customers to beware of disruption despite today’s cancelled strike.
Virgin told passengers to pack light hand luggage in case of delays at Heathrow security.
It also warned that flights it had moved to Gatwick to avoid the disruption would not return to Heathrow.
“We’re pleased that planned industrial action at Heathrow Airport has been suspended,” Virgin said.
“We moved a small number of Virgin Atlantic flights to operate in/out of Gatwick Airport. These services will not revert back to the original London Heathrow schedule and will remain in place.”
Heathrow meanwhile said passengers should check with airlines on whether cancelled or rescheduled flights had been returned to normal.
The union workers were supposed to strike on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July, but industrial action was suspended while Unite considered a new pay offer.
The UK’s busiest airport is also facing strikes from pilots at British Airways, its flagship carrier.
Pilots union Balpa got a boost yesterday when the airline lost its bid to block pilots from striking later this summer.
An overwhelming 93 per cent of union pilots have backed industrial action, with the potential to ruin people’s summer holidays.
However, Balpa told CityAM on 2 August that no dates are yet agreed for action.
Still, British Airways owner IAG believes strikes could be timed from mid-August to cause as much chaos as possible to holidaymakers’ flights.
Read more: British Airways loses court bid to stop pilot strikes over summer
IAG CEO Willie Walsh was adamant he would not back down in the pay dispute.
But he told Sky News the airline would do “everything we can” for customers affected by the strike.
Walsh said pilots – who want better pay and participation in a profit sharing scheme – have been offered a “fair” deal of an 11.5 per cent rise over three years.
Balpa, which has over 10,000 members, must give BA at least two weeks’ notice ahead of any strike action.
The disruption could cost BA up to £40m per day, the airline has estimated.
Gatwick strike action
Baggage scanners and terminal staff working for security ICTS who are members of Unite are also mulling strike action at Britain’s second busiest airport in August, in a dispute over pay.
A ballot paper has also been sent out for workers at ISS, which maintains toilet facilities at the airport and also assists with moving luggage and rearranging furniture.
Papers for both strikes were sent to members on Friday 12 July and the deadline for their return was Friday 26 July. If members vote for industrial action, then strikes could begin in mid-August.
The union warned: “If strikes go ahead then passengers will inevitably experience delays and a poorer service but this is in the hands of the contractors and Gatwick airport.”
Read more: Union suspends Heathrow Airport July strikes but warns August action ‘still on the table’
Ryanair strike action
Pilots at the budget airline who are members of Balpa are balloting on industrial action.
The results are due to be announced on 7 August.
Ryanair flies from Luton, Gatwick and Stansted airports.
Passengers of the airline have suffered from a vast number of delays and cancellations in recent years.
All images credit: Getty