The Unite trade union this week warned travellers "to be braced for delays" in the run-up to Christmas as hundreds of ground handlers at Heathrow Airport said they would strike for three days from 4am on December 16.
The walkout will cause "disruption, delays and cancellations for flights leaving Heathrow Terminals 2, 3 and 4", the union warned, with flights operated by Air Canada, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Air Portugal, Austrian airlines, Qantas, Egypt Air, Aer Lingus and Finnair set to be "particularly affected".
The 350 workers involved were offered by employer Menzies Aviation what Unite said was "a flat rate increase" that amounted to a "real terms pay cut" in the light of over a year of rising inflation in the UK.
Unite said the "highly lucrative" Menzies "needs to have a long hard look at itself" over the offer, which was "at odds" with what its cargo workers at Heathrow were offered earlier this year.
Neither Heathrow Airport nor Menzies had made a statement about the strike at time of writing.