Major UK airport set for Easter holiday chaos amid 10-day strike

AN URGENT warning has been issued to passengers travelling through Heathrow Airport amid imminent strikes.

Security guards are set to hold 10 days of walkouts across the Easter holiday, throwing Brits into travel chaos and disruption.

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More than 1,400 security staff are reportedly staging the industrial action from March 31 to Easter Sunday – April 9.

They are striking during peak time, within the Easter school holidays, in demands for better pay amid the crippling cost of living crisis.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Workers at Heathrow Airport are on poverty wages while the chief executive and senior managers enjoy huge salaries.”

Striking workers include guards who are employed at Terminal Five, used by British Airways, and those checking cargo entering the airport.

These employees have so far been offered a 10 per cent pay increase by Heathrow – but this offer has been rejected due to inflation and years of pay freezes.

Heathrow has stated that contingency plans to keep the airport open and operational are in place.

A spokesperson said in their statement: “Threatening to ruin peoples hard-earned holidays with strike action will not improve the deal.”

This comes as Brits were warned about holiday delays as passport workers are set to strike for five weeks amid a bitter pay dispute.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) announced the walk out, which could impact on the processing of passports in time for the summer.

More than 4,000 PCS workers in England, Scotland and Wales are set to join the action between April 3 and May 5.

In Belfast passport office employees are currently being balloted and it’s possible they could join the strike as well.

Offices in areas including Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport are also expected to see major disruption.

PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka has demanded that the Government revisit the current 2% pay rise offer to avoid further strikes.

This comes as teachers, doctors, health care workers, train drivers and civil servants have also staged walkouts in recent months amid the cost of living crisis.

The National Education Union (NEU) is the UK’s largest education union, and said the strikes on March 15 and 16 will have affected 23,400 schools.

Teachers were calling for a fully-funded 12% pay award for 2022/23, stating that with inflation above 11%, the current offer is nothing more than a pay-cut.

The general public will also have already felt the brunt of more train strike action this month.

Planned rail walkouts took place on March 16, 18 and are scheduled for March 30.

Young doctors, NHS staff, and ambulance crews have also taken part in industrial action in demand for better pay.

Inflation in the UK rose to 11 per cent last year in October, the highest it has been in about four decades.

Although it dropped to just over 10 per cent in January, it is still a drastic increase from the steady two percent over the years.

For all the information about upcoming strikes read here.

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