Refuelling staff to stage three-day strike at Heathrow

Several airlines at Heathrow could face disruption due to fuel staff strikes later this week.

Aviation Fuel Services (AFS) workers will stage a three-day straight strike over pay from 05:00 BST Thursday to 04:59 Sunday.

Airlines affected include Virgin, United, KLM, Emirates and Air France.

The strikes come as passengers have faced delays and cancellations in recent months, largely due to staff shortages in the airline industry.

The UK is about to enter the crucial summer holiday season as schools start to close and there are concerns travelers will be hit by further disruption and delays to travel.

Airports and airlines shedding jobs during the height of the coronavirus pandemic are struggling to hire staff as demand for international travel has returned.

This has led to Heathrow Airport requiring airlines to stop selling summer tickets and cap daily passenger numbers.

Unione union said the industrial action would “delay hundreds of flights” and claimed AFS workers were responsible for fueling half of Heathrow’s non-British Airways traffic.

It is understood that AFS is one of several fueling companies operating at Heathrow and the airlines concerned are responsible for finding alternative suppliers for their flights.

The BBC has reached out to several airlines for comment.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said AFS is “100% owned by incredibly wealthy energy companies that are perfectly capable of providing our members with a decent raise”.

Unite said its members hadn’t received a pay rise in three years, adding that AFS made an offer of a 10 per cent increase which “was rejected by members as it did not meet their expectations”.

Prices are now rising at their fastest pace in 40 years, prompting many unions and workers across the UK to call for wage increases.

Railway workers, train drivers, postal workers and check-in staff at Heathrow are among several groups who have been on strike or voting for industrial action in recent weeks.

Inflation, the rate at which prices are rising, hit 9.1% in May and is expected to rise later this year. There are concerns that wage increases to deal with the current cost of living could fuel inflation further.

AFS is a joint venture that includes BP, Total Energies, Q8 Aviation and Valero Energy.

The BBC has contacted BP to comment on the strike action.

Unite regional official Kevin Hall said the pay dispute was “entirely caused by AFS itself.”

“It initially refused to start negotiations and was late in making an offer that the workers found totally unacceptable,” he said.

But he added: “Even in the eleventh hour a strike could be averted if AFS makes a much better offer.”