Pay dispute strike threat at Heathrow

London: London’s Heathrow Airport, the busiest in Europe, could be closed by strike action as the Unite union ballots more than 6,000 security staff, engineers and firefighters in a pay dispute with owner BAA Ltd.

The vote, which includes workers at BAA’s London Stansted airport and terminals in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen in Scotland and Southampton on England’s south coast, will run from July 23 to August 12, Unite said.

Heathrow, the world’s second-busiest airport after Atlanta Hartsfield, has already been affected by walkouts this year after Unite called strikes by British Airways Plc cabin crew over staffing levels, pay and contract terms.