500 Wilson James London Heathrow Airport workers to strike over pay disparity with Gatwick Airport colleagues during Easter holidays

Around 500 Wilson James employees at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), who assist passengers with restricted mobility (PRM), have launched further strike action this week in their fight for fair pay. The dispute, driven by anger over a significant pay gap with colleagues at Gatwick Airport performing the same duties, has now intensified with managers also joining the strike.

Details on PRM Heathrow strike

The latest round of industrial action will take place on 24, 25, 29 and 30 April 2025. In a significant escalation, managers responsible for overseeing PRM services will walk out on 1 May, after voting in favour of strike action themselves.

Unite, the UK’s leading union, said Heathrow and Wilson James are both highly profitable and can afford to address the workers’ demands. Wilson James reported gross profits of £35.4 million for the year ending July 2024, with a 17.7% increase in turnover. Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) posted profits of £696 million in just nine months ending September 2024.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “Heathrow and Wilson James are both highly profitable and can more than afford to ensure these workers are offered reasonable pay deals. Unite is backing Heathrow’s passenger assistance workers 100 per cent as they strike for fair pay.”

Unite Regional Officer Martin West added: “It is morally indefensible that workers doing the same job for the same employer at two different London airports are being paid vastly different rates. All our members are asking for is parity with their colleagues, but this has fallen on deaf ears. Wilson James must return to the negotiating table with a fair pay offer.”

PRM workers at Heathrow, who walk an average of 13 miles a day to provide support, reassurance, and mobility services, play a crucial role in helping passengers with additional needs. The ongoing dispute could result in serious disruption to these services if no agreement is reached.

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