Security staff at London's Heathrow Airport have voted to strike for 10 days in a walkout that will occur during the busy Easter bank holiday period.
The strike involves security guards employed at Terminal Five, which is used exclusively by British Airways, and campus security guards who are responsible for checking all cargo that enters the airport.
The Unite union warned the airport would “experience severe delays and disruption” around Easter.
More than 1,400 security workers at Heathrow, the UK’s biggest airport, will strike from March 31 through April 9, which is Easter Sunday.
It is the latest flare-up after months of strikes over pay across a number of sectors, including health care, railways and education, as the cost-of-living crisis leads inflation past 10 per cent.
“Workers at Heathrow Airport are on poverty wages while the chief executive and senior managers enjoy huge salaries,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.
“It is the airport's workers who are fundamental to its success and they deserve a fair pay increase.
“Our members are simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages paid by Heathrow. They are being forced to take strike action due to need not greed.
“Unite has a laser-like focus on prioritising the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and Heathrow needs to be in no doubt that the workers at the airport will receive the union's unstinting support.”
The union said the airport's offer of a 10 per cent pay increase did not make up for years of pay freezes and cuts.
Heathrow said it had contingency plans in place to keep the airport running.
“Passengers can be reassured that we have contingency plans which will keep the airport open and operational despite unnecessary threats of strike action by Unite,” an representative said.
“We have proposed an inflation-beating 10 per cent increase in pay which the public will recognise is fair and a majority of our colleagues have told Unite is not worth striking over. We urge Unite to come back to the table to discuss implementing it.
“Threatening to ruin people's hard-earned holidays with strike action will not improve the deal. We want to do the right thing by our people and our passengers; each day only delays this pay rise reaching Unite members' pockets.”
Earlier this week, train drivers, junior doctors, teachers, civil servants and London Underground workers walked out as part of continuing protests over pay.
On Thursday, unions representing more than 1,000 passport office workers said they would go on strike for five weeks before the summer travel season.
Nurses have suspended further planned strikes after a revised pay offer from managers.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Results
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Winner Amani Pico, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
