Strikes to close UK airports

STRIKES are set to close the UK’s largest airports in the coming weeks. The strike will affect not only Heathrow, but also Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Southampton and Stansted airports.

The union Unite, which orchestrated the recent British Airways (BA) cabin crew strikes, is behind this latest strike of BAA Airports ground handling and security staff. As in the earlier strikes, despite being in the middle of a global recession and having only received a vote of less than half the union members, the dispute is over pay.

After negotiations, BAA offered union members a one per cent pay raise, an offer that the union denounced as “measly”.

The dates of the action have not been decided, but the union says it intends to target the holiday weekend of 28-30 August, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

A BAA spokesman said: “We regret the uncertainty this vote has already caused our customers. “We hope that the union will engage with us quickly to conclude an agreement.”