Heathrow Airport strike 2019: Which flights are cancelled and am I entitled to compensation?
14 August 2019, 10:57 | Updated: 14 August 2019, 11:01
Here's how the Heathrow airport strike may affect your holiday plans this summer.
Anyone planning on going on holiday this summer were facing last minute changes to their travel plans after staff working at Heathrow Airport announced a summer strike.
In a row over pay, trade union ‘Unite the union’ revealed that 4000 workers are set to walk out on a string of dates during the airports busiest time.
This included security guards, engineers, passenger service operatives and passenger service drivers.
So, here’s everything you need to know about the strikes and how they might affect you.
Which flights are cancelled?
The dates which were thought to affected by the strikes include:
Friday July 26, Saturday July 27, Monday August 5, Tuesday August 6, Friday August 23 and Saturday August 24.
However, after the walkout on August 6 was called off, it's now been revealed the strikes later in August have also been cancelled.
Workers had planned to walk out on both Friday August 23 and Saturday August 24 in a row over wages, but it has since been postponed as staff vote over a new pay offer.
Unite confirmed that a ballot is under way for airport workers to vote on the wage increase and it closes on September 2.
A Heathrow spokesman said: "We have put an additional £2.5 million on the table since talks began, with our current offer bringing the total pay rise to 7.8% over two years for all frontline colleagues.
"This is well above RPI (inflation), higher than any other UK airport and helps to provide long-term wage certainty and job security."
What is the industrial action about?
Following a dispute over pay, airline, airport and air traffic control staff are staging a walkout.
“There is deepening anger over pay among workers who are essential to the smooth running of Heathrow Airport,” said Unite regional coordinating officer Wayne King.
Read More: How much are we paying for holiday childcare?
“They are fed up of being expected to accept crumbs while the chief executive pockets an eye popping 103 per cent rise in his pay package and shareholders are handed dividends of over £2 billion in the last two years alone.”
However, a spokesperson has since told Sun Online, that they are committed to finding a solution.
They said: "We have proposed a progressive pay package giving at least a 4.6 per cent pay rise to over 70 per cent of our frontline colleagues.
"The total package offered is above RPI and is specifically designed to boost the wages of lower paid colleagues.
"We have invited our union colleagues back to the table and urge them to continue working with us to reach an agreement.”
Read More: This is why you should run your shower for 20 minutes after getting back from holiday
Are passengers entitled to compensation?
In most cases, airlines are not liable when flights are impacted by industrial action as it is classed by the Civil Aviation Authority, as an ‘extraordinary circumstance’.
This means that the airline does not have to pay its passengers compensation for any delays or cancellations that occur on the day of the strike.
You may be able to get a refund, compensation or a flight reschedule depending on how the airport is affected.
