Heathrow Airport could be forced to cancel flights over early May bank holiday

Flights out of Heathrow Airport could be disrupted over the early May bank holiday after refuelling staff threatened to strike. The strike action is set to last for 72 hours from 4 May, following a dispute over contracts for new employees.

Unite claims that AFS, a joint venture of four major oil and gas companies, has imposed significant cuts to the terms and conditions of workers hired since January 2024. The proposed changes include reduced pension and sick pay benefits, which the union claims unfairly targets newer staff.

The strike action could lead to delays, disruptions and cancellations over the bank holiday weekend, potentially causing major inconvenience for travellers. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham expressed strong support for the striking workers, stating: "AFS is behaving appallingly by attacking the TandCs of new members of staff those it views as the easiest to intimidate. But Unite will not stand for such bully-boy tactics and we will be backing our members in their fight for improved pensions and sick pay for all staff."

Kevin Hall, a regional officer for Unite, said: "Our members recognise that if they allow this attack on their conditions to take place, before long this will become the norm. Unite won't allow that to happen and is standing firm with our members on the picket line. AFS will have to answer directly to the airlines and passengers for the disruption caused by their unmerited actions."

Heathrow Airport said it is working on contingencies with AFS to manage any potential disruption, saying it has “robust” measures planned, adding that passengers can book flights from Heathrow with confidence.