Airport refuelling workers prepare to strike

Workers who refuel aircraft at Heathrow airport were tonight preparing to launch a 48 hour strike after rejecting a two year pay offer.

The Transport and General Workers Union said the walkout by 40 workers employed by AFS, due to start at 4.30am tomorrow, would disrupt flights.

Heathrow said it hoped schedules would be “largely unaffected” because of contingency plans.

An airport spokesman said: “Short-haul and European flights are not expected to be impacted.

“Long-haul flights could be subject to some minor disruption. We advise passengers not to change their travel plans and to check in as normal, but if they have concerns to keep in contact with their airline for latest information on their specific flight.

“AFS is one of three companies carrying out refuelling at Heathrow and for the considerable majority of passengers on Friday and Saturday it should be business as normal.”

Kevin Hall, regional official of the TGWU, said it was “extremely unlikely” that the strike could be avoided.

“Our members do not believe that the offer being put forward meets their aspirations but, more importantly, does not compensate many of them for the terms and conditions, such as pension and overtime provisions, that have been taken away from them by the refuelling companies who have major interests within AFS.”

The workers refuel around a third of the 1,200 daily flights at Heathrow.

In a separate dispute, talks were held today to try to avert a strike by hundreds of baggage handlers at Gatwick airport on Saturday.

Around 600 members of the TGWU employed by ground service firm Servisair are planning to walkout in protest at workloads and the suspension of a union official.

Thomas Cook Airlines and MyTravel said tonight that if the strike went ahead they would bring in their own baggage handlers to make sure passengers were not disrupted.

Shaun Robinson, of Thomas Cook, said: “Part of our contingency plan is to bring in a baggage hit squad to ensure passengers’ bags get put onto their flights and our passengers get out of Gatwick on time.”

MyTravel said it had trained its own “task force” from among other staff to handle baggage.

“It will be business as usual,” said a spokeswoman.