Last-ditch pay talks are planned for today (Thursday) in a bid to avert a 10-day strike by security staff at Heathrow.
The union representing more than 1,400 officers, including those working at British Airways’ Terminal 5 hub, revealed that airport bosses had agreed to get around the table.
The discussions appear to come too late to prevent the cancellation of around 32 flights a day by BA after Heathrow instructed the airline to trim its schedule by 5% on strike days.
The walkout by some members of the Unite union in a dispute over pay is due to run from March 31 until Easter Sunday (April 9).
However, Unite revealed last night that Heathrow had agreed to fresh talks after a previous refusal to negotiate further.
More: Loganair to expand at Heathrow from May
JetBlue to double Heathrow-JFK service from next week
Talks are due to take place this morning at Heathrow’s headquarters.
Recent union research means workers’ expectations of an increased deal have heightened.
The potential strike action involves security officers at Terminal 5 and security guards who are responsible for checking all cargo that enters the airport.
But the union warned that flights using Heathrow “will experience severe delays and disruption this Easter if the last-ditch talks do not avert the strike”.
Unite regional officer Wayne King said: “Unite is entering into the talks in good faith but HAL [Heathrow Airport Limited] needs to be aware that unless it is prepared to improve the pay offer to our members then there is no chance of the strike beginning Friday being postponed.”
The union’s general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The offer of new talks is to be welcomed.
“But Heathrow’s executives have to realise that the genie is out the bottle. Workers can’t be expected to accept real term pay cuts as shareholders and bosses get richer and richer.
“So, if the strike is to be averted there needs to be more real money put on the table to make a decent pay rise.”
Heathrow has insisted it has contingency plans in place to keep the airport “open and operational” in the face of possible industrial action.
The airport previously put forward a 10% pay rise for security officers and urged Unite to discuss implementing it.