Baggage carousel maintenance and servicing workers at Heathrow airport are being balloted over possible strike action.
Unite said that around 170 Vanderlande Industries workers were being balloted following what the union referred to as a “poor pay offer”.
The ballot runs until 1 September, and Unite said that should its members take industrial action “it will bring all terminals and airline baggage handling to a standstill”.
The union said that members had “roundly rejected” two below-inflation pay offers of five per cent and 2.5 per cent.
The ballot is the latest in a long line of disputes and industrial action at Heathrow this year – although the planned 31 days of strikes by security workers during June, July and August was called off after workers received a new pay offer.
Gatwick airport is also set for disruption later this month, with eight days of strike action planned by 230 employees.
Commenting on the news Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said:
“Workers at Heathrow Airport employed by Vanderlande do a safety and security critical role that passengers depend on. The fact that their employer refuses to recognise this, as shown by their pitiful pay offer, speaks volumes.
“They should be ashamed that, during a cost-of-living crisis, they are acting in such a penny-pinching manner while their bottom line shows just how much money they are making.”
