Heathrow summer holiday shutdown threats

[C0rnfl0wer]

So having been sweating about BA pilots striking, then climate change drone attacks it now transpires Heathrow will be shut down the day we are due to fly due to Heathrow staff striking .

Fed up with holiday makers being held to ransome in the school holidays. We’ve had the shitiest of shit years, saved for ages for our trip and now have two weeks of sweating and probably a cancelled holiday as the shut down is due the day we fly.

Doing this the day schools break up and the busiest weekend of the year is just a nasty thing to do and surely kills off any possible sympathy for causes.

Why not be angry at their employers instead. Workers lose pay when they strike. They don't do it lightly.

This. It's shit but the employers rely on reactions like yours so that they can continue doing whatever they want.
I have sympathy for the workers.

NoBaggyPants

In our experience Pay and working conditions are far better though.

You're seriously suggesting your wedding is more important than people earning a living wage?

And also this.

In our experience Pay and working conditions are far better though.

If you're in a state that has at will employment, then you need union representation. Good pay is great until they decide to get rid of you for no reason at all.

Workers in the US typically work far more hours and have less holidays. It's not something to aspire to, although for most it's all they know so cannot compare to a fairer system.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/12/heathrow-airport-strikes-one-million-passengers-could-affected/amp/

26th Stanstead will be hit on the 25th. With the potential numbers involved I doubt other flights will be offered.

Re Listening it goes both ways and there are other ways to make a point. The union could try other ways and do a bit of listening themselves.

Re Listening it goes both ways and there are other ways to make a point.

Like?

I think flying is over. Massive carbon footprint strikes stress. We moving away from it

Discussion Unite were invited back to the table.

OP, I understand why you are pissed off about your travel plans potentially being disrupted, but you really are directing your anger at the wrong people.

Ordinary airport workers earn very low wages, barely above minimum wage in many cases. Heathrow is vastly profitable, and as a reward for that profit the directors pay themselves millions, and award themselves huge bonuses. They do this while paying ordinary workers a pittance, withe little or no bonus, and try to fob them off with derisory pay rises which barely keep pace with inflation.

My sympathies are with those ordinary workers. I admire their solidarity and wish them well in their fight for a fair deal.

We have family to visit and a wedding to do.

Because that is obviously far more important than people being able to feed their children and put a roof over their heads.

NoBaggyPants

As a Brit in the USA I have experienced both systems. Actually we do work in a “at Will” state, and we prefer it as it means that employer and employee trust each other. At will works both ways

You'll be offered an alternative flight if yours is cancelled. Calm down and be glad you can afford a premium priced school holiday and a "destination wedding".

"Invited back to the table" means invited back to have yet another meeting in which they are lied to, fed a load of bullshit and then nothing changes. Again

Your attitude is terrible OP and my goodness you are a drama llama. I had sympathy reading initial post but none whatsoever with your following responses and ignorance in ignoring responses and assurances and simply continuing your rant with no empathy for those less fortunate than yourself.

Good luck to those striking, it is disgusting to think they are paid so poorly when so much profit is made at LHR.

Re my much earlier comment re teachers strikes here. The teachers were being paid at less than minimum wage once you factored in all the other jobs and long hours they do as expected.

They went on strike in May and the kids were only in school for 7 days that month. Two teaching unions here. One staged walks outs. The other worked to rule and refused to cover walk outs.

Caused a lot of disruption - parents had to take time off work to look after kids etc. Caused massive disruptions to businesses.

OP you are given hard time here. I agree with you - I feel sorry for workers but there are other ways to make a point rather than disrupt 1 million passengers. Many people work hard the whole year to have a well deserved holiday so it is difficult to have sympathy for a strike causing massive disruption.
Let’s hope the strike is cancelled and you have a lovely weeding

I feel sorry for workers but there are other ways to make a point rather than disrupt 1 million passengers.

Of course there are, but none that will be as effective. The union is doing exactly what it should be doing: taking action in the most effective way, for the benefit of its members.

They're not a customer care organisation, their job is to get the best possible outcome for their members. Looking after customers is the job of the company, not the members.

Blame the employers who have it in their power to prevent this by making a reasonable offer.

I’ve just read this and am flying on 6th August with BA. luckily it’s from Dublin, so I managed to get another flight with Ryan Air just in case. Cost me £40 though and means I now can’t drive to the airport as it now arrives at Stansted. Bummer though as I’ve not got a lot of money but couldn’t risk being stuck in Dublin.

You're unbelievably self-centred.

Zero sympathy for you. Plenty for the staff.

I wonder if all the posters on here would be feeling quite so sorry for the striking staff if it was them flying off on the holiday of a lifetime or to get married etc on one of the strike dates?