Heathrow security staff to strike for 31 days between 24th June and 27th August

How on earth can they afford to strike that many days in such a small period of time…dear me, they must be losing more money than the pay rise would cover alone.

Disappointing reporting from the BBC when they only talk about percentages, not the actual numbers of what they're paid.

Here's the Unions announcement
. They don't mention actual pay either but claim

Heathrow security officers are paid less than workers at other major airports in London and the South East. The officers, who were the highest paid prior to the Covid pandemic, are now paid between £5,000 and £6,000 per annum less than their counterparts at Stansted and Gatwick.

Hmm refuse 10% pay rise?

A lot of people that I know, would love to have that high pay rise.

On one hand, I got it, everyone would like to earn more, but as it was already said - if you don't like your pay and you refuse 10% pay rise, then maybe you should change your job?

I wonder, why they can't post what is the average pay there? I can bet a lot of people would be quite surprised.

All strikers should be sacked, enough is enough. They simply don't give a damn about their customers.

It'll be chaos. More time is spent in queues than flying short/medium haul as it is. I'm glad that I never have to fly again! (edited)

I'm with HOTPOT.

If you dont like your job conditions get off your lazy ass and go and find a better one.
No one is forcing them to work there.

Im with HOTPOT.

If you dont like your job look for a better one.
The job pays what it pays. if not enough you are in the wrong job. (edited)

Sack them all and bar them from travel themselves.

Some horrible selfish people on here, people only strike as a last resort.

Queues will probably be shorter. The Army seemed more efficient last time!

A few people on here saying they're on minimum wage.
Best info I can find is glassdoor, where the salary is probably weighted towards quite outdated salaries and also weighted towards younger, less experienced and lower paid staff. The figure there is just under £14ph with some staff earning over £50k. Not bad for a zero skill job.

Good for them. Hope they will get the pay rise they deserve. Everyone who is working in contact with UK public should be paid double.

This is literally taking people as hostages till firms pay ur demands and a ransom so things go normal.
They care less about misery they put others into who work hard all year and deny them a peaceful trip they deserve.
I have zero sympathy for those people taking those strikes.. ZERO.. is Utter greed at expense of us.

Shame they couldn't have had a strike in mid-winter, probably would have had more public sympathy...

Meanwhile us nurses were ruled against by the high courts, and only allowed to strike for 48 hours lol

Absolute joke . Train strike prob too , and my whole holiday is gone . Thanks . Thanks a lot .

This country is going downhill... And the problem is that Europe/US is doing the same.

We are like a 3rd world country at times.

This thread has polarised opinion (as all similar threads seem to do). I find some of the views expressed here deeply frustrating, so I'll take this opportunity to make a general plea (slightly off topic, but this seems a good place to put it).

Having had the pleasure of working with the great British public for many years now, I'd ask you all to spare a thought for everyone in the travel industry who is in a customer-facing role (heck, let's include everyone, not just the travel industry). Don't get me wrong, there are some lovely people out there, and they are still the majority, but there are also a significant number of angry, entitled (and often intoxicated) bellends who pitch up at the airport spoiling for conflict. Why are the queues so long? Because not so long ago, a lot of people died due to complacency about security, and because we don't want our customers to be blown to bits by lunatics (sorry). Furthermore, the government has a responsibility to control our borders, which means checks. You can't have it both ways. E-gates do speed things up, but if you travel by air, you will have to queue (again, sorry).

Some of the things I see regularly: people arriving for their outbound holiday flight so blind drunk that they can't negotiate the steps up to the aircraft. They are then gobsmacked when their airline refuses to carry them, often leading to the police being called (and arrests being made). Then there are the ones who think they are entitled to insult and belittle the staff who are there to help them. Believe me, it isn't easy to keep your cool when faced with a screaming eejit with no interest in listening to a word you are saying (even if you are trying your level best to be helpful - and we do try). We all have our stock responses for these situations - my personal favourite is 'I'm sorry, but my obligation to provide you with a service ended when you saw fit to call me a c***.' We are all used to it, but it's challenging work, and much harder than some people think. I've never actually punched anyone, but my dreams are peppered with acts of violence...

Going on holiday can be really stressful, I know. We get it - it's part of our job to get it. All I can say is that if you treat those around you with a bit of basic consideration and respect, you will be doing your part. Aside from that, it is (in my experience) the nice people who get the best service. Always. Nobody's going the extra mile for an ungrateful tool. If five pints of Stella turns you into a knobend, why not try stopping at two? (at least until you reach your destination, at which point you take your chances with local law enforcement).

And finally (back on topic), for the benefit of those who struggle to see the point in airport security (or see it as a non-job), I say this: Lockerbie, the twin towers and a number of other terrible occasions when hundreds of holidaymakers died screaming as the plane they were travelling in plunged to the ground like a dart. Air travel has never been safer than it is now, largely due to huge increases in airport security

Suck it up and queue, because it's a small price to pay.

And maybe show a bit of empathy for the people whose job it is to make it more difficult for terrorists to end you. They deserve fair pay and conditions, as do you.

Was that all a bit too much? Sorry.

I'm travelling down to London by train on the 30th June. I really hope the trains don't decide to strike on the same days too.

Just send the army over

Strikes dont work bc rich ppl / decision-makers fly private

Can't be that bad off if they can strike for 31 days.

Though in saying that I'm for the strike, workers have had awful wage stagnation in this joke of a country for decades. (edited)

Last time they striked management and army back up meant queues were smaller, and cleared faster.