Unite, the UK trade union, has accused Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) of using the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to permanently cut the pay and conditions of its workforce.

According to the Union, Heathrow is proposing slashing workers’ terms and conditions including pay cuts of up to 37%, the closure of the final salary pension scheme, the removal of paid breaks and all allowances. Furthermore, the proposals include weakening the redundancy agreement, not paying workers for the first three days of sickness and refusal to implement a 4% increase in January 2021, part of an agreement to end the previous pay dispute.

All of the cuts would be permanent and if Unite does not agree to the attack on workers’ pay, Heathrow Airport Limited is committed to sacking its entire workforce and rehiring them on poorer terms and conditions, according to the Union.

“Unite has sought to enter into negotiations to attempt to find common ground but HAL has refused to compromise. Unite has proposed savings in security of £48 million but this is not considered sufficient,” Unite stated.

Unite represents around 4,500 workers who are directly employed at the airport working in security, engineering, the fire service, passenger services and airside operations.

In early May Heathrow announced that the airport had a war chest of £3.2 billion and could survive without a flight going in or out of the airport for a year.

Unite will undertake a ballot of its members to get their views on the attacks on terms and conditions. If there is an appetite for strike action a formal industrial action ballot will swiftly follow.

Earlier this month Heathrow announced that employment levels are no longer sustainable. This was due to the government’s quarantine policy which requires all arriving passengers to self-isolate for two weeks. In line with this decline, the airport has begun to restructure its frontline roles, having already cut one third of managerial roles.

Heathrow CEO, John Holland-Kaye, said, “Throughout this crisis, we have tried to protect front line jobs, but this is no longer sustainable, and we have now agreed a voluntary severance scheme with our union partners. While we cannot rule out further job reductions, we will continue to explore options to minimise the number of job losses.”

Unite regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King said, “These are not well paid workers as it is but they have worked extremely hard to make Heathrow the highly profitable airport that it is today. To attack their pay and conditions in this way and at under the cover of the public health crisis is a disgraceful act from a business with billions in the bank.”

“HAL does not need to make these cuts permanent they want to. This is about pure greed and not need.

“Unite has tried to negotiate an acceptable compromise but these have been rejected outright,” King said.