Around 400 Heathrow based ground handlers will strike for 72 hours from Friday, threatening to bring heavy disruption to the UK’s largest airport.
Workers have rejected a pay offer from employer Menzies, including a backdated 4% increase from May and a 6.5% rise in the new year, and are seeking a 13% addition to their 2022 pay-packets.
“Strike action is being taken as a last resort because Menzies has only been prepared to offer our members a miserable pay increase that in no way reflects the cost of living,” said Unite union.
General secretary Sharon Graham added: “This is a classic case of an employer that can fully afford to pay workers a fair pay increase but has chosen not to.”
Those working in terminals two, three and four of Heathrow will walk out, after previous strikes saw American Airlines, Lufthansa and Qantas among the worst affected airlines.
Unite is also planning further action by ground handlers from Thursday 29 December, which will coincide with walkouts from border force staff.
Heathrow suggested the latter was unlikely to affect the vast majority of travellers however, adding that December would be busy, continuing a resurgence in demand the pandemic.
Traffic is now roughly 70% of pre-Covid levels.