Heathrow Airport mobility workers strike over pay as Unite urges airport to intervene in dispute

UPDATED: 13/06/2025

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) faces a fresh wave of disruption as around 800 Wilson James workers assisting passengers with restricted mobility (PRM) intensify their strike action over a 10% pay gap compared to counterparts at London Gatwick Airport. The protests follow an unprecedented move by Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) to deploy over 500 temporary staff in Terminals 3 and 5 in an attempt to break the strike.

Details on Heathrow Airport strike

Strike action began in April with roughly 500 workers and has since grown to about 800. The latest escalation was triggered on Thursday 12 June, when HAL excluded Wilson James from operations in key terminals and brought in untrained personnel as cover, sparking union backlash.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham condemned the move as “union busting”, stating:

“Heathrow Airport is behaving disgracefully, its attempt at union busting will fail miserably. Drafting in hundreds of untrained workers and barring Wilson James from operations is costly, ineffective and unsustainable. Instead of union‑busting, it would make far more sense for Heathrow to tell Wilson James to put forward an acceptable offer. Heathrow’s actions are set to prolong strikes into the summer holidays.”

Unite also expressed concern about the imported staff’s lack of training and vetting, questioning whether the Civil Aviation Authority was informed of the plan.

The strike has already had a serious impact on PRM passengers, with frequent reports of delays, missed flights and a lack of essential wheelchair assistance. Between 4,000 and 6,000 PRM passengers use Heathrow daily.

HAL’s move is the latest salvo in a dispute over pay, which has previously seen Wilson James report £35.4 million in profits for the year ending July 2024, alongside a 17.7% rise in turnover. HAL itself recorded almost £1 billion in pre-tax profits in 2024.

Unite regional officer Martin West added:

“Our members take pride in their job and are striking as a last resort. Despite Heathrow’s attempts to strike break, passengers will still face disruption, which is entirely the fault of Wilson James for refusing to pay its workers fairly. Strike action will intensify throughout July and August if a reasonable offer is not tabled by Wilson James.”

Unless a resolution emerges, Unite warns the dispute will escalate further over the summer, potentially affecting services at Heathrow, widely acknowledged as the UK’s busiest airport.

SIGN ME UP