Unite threatens Heathrow with strike over ‘fire and rehire’ tactics

Unite the Union has announced today that it is preparing to ballot members at Heathrow Airport on proposed industrial action in the face of attempts to ‘fire and rehire’ staff on lower wages and worse terms and conditions.

The Labour-affiliated union proposed the strike plans as 4,000 workers employed directly by Heathrow Airport Limited are being confronted with pay cuts of up to £8,000 a year – around 25% of their pay – via the controversial tactic.

Unite has dismissed claims that the wage cuts are a necessary response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit aviation hard, and accused Heathrow of “using the cover of Covid” to justify “picking the pockets of loyal workers”.

Commenting on the concerns that workers could be pushed into poverty and on the plans for industrial action, Unite regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King said: “The opportunism of HAL’s highly-paid managers is truly shocking.

“They are using the cover of Covid to impose brutal cuts on workers trying to get by in one of the most expensive cities on the planet. They are picking the pockets of loyal workers whose earnings are the lifeblood of the local economy yet leaving their super-salaries unscathed and shareholders’ bounties untouched.

“It is an immoral act born from boardroom greed with nothing whatsoever to do with financial need and it will be condemned as such by all right-thinking people.

“These pay cuts are so great that workers face losing their homes with hard-working families being plunged into poverty. HAL’s directors and shareholders must look to their consciences not just their riches and step back from this now.

“Unite has made repeated attempts to work with HAL to find cost savings but rather than advance such talks they have decided it is better to fire and rehire staff on vastly inferior rates of pay.”

The union’s regional officer concluded: “We urge HAL to drop these appalling fire and rehire plans and instead enter into constructive and honest negotiations with Unite.”

Unite has criticised the decision to cut workers’ wages despite the huge pay cheques of many company executives. Heathrow’s 49 directors earned over £21m last year, and the chief executive received £2.6m in pay and pensions.

Heathrow said it had a £3.2bn war chest when the Covid-19 pandemic first hit the UK, and the company predicted that the robust position meant it could have survived without a single flight leaving the airport for the following 12 months.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has voiced his opposition to ‘fire and rehire’, describing the tactic as “not just wrong but against British values”. In his speech to the 2020 TUC Congress, he called on the government to outlaw the practice.

Unite the Union says it has tried to discuss alternative money-saving measures with the company, which would avoid permanent cuts to staff wages, but management has rejected the proposals.

Airport officials have said Heathrow is still guaranteeing a job at the airport for anyone who wishes to stay. The company has stressed that Covid has “decimated” the aviation industry via an unprecedented drop in passenger numbers.