Around 800 Heathrow workers assisting passengers with restricted mobility will intensify their pay strikes next week, Unite, the UK's leading union, said today.

The escalation is a result of an unprecedented attempt by Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) bosses to strike break.

HAL has drafted more than 500 workers, which Unite believes will be from a third-party contractor, to partly cover services at terminals three and five. Wilson James has been barred from operations in these areas during the strike action.

Terminals two and four will not be covered by the drafted staff. There will be widespread disruption to services throughout the airport.

Unite also has concerns that the labour brought into break the strikes will not have the skills, knowledge or training to undertake a safe and efficient service. Questions have also been raised about proper vetting and if the Civil Aviation Authority is aware of Heathrow's plans.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Heathrow Airport is behaving disgracefully - its attempt at union busting will fail miserably.

"Drafting in hundreds of untrained workers and barring Wilson James from operations is costly, ineffective and unsustainable. Instead of union-busting, it would make far more sense for Heathrow to tell Wilson James to put forward an acceptable offer. Heathrow's actions are set to prolong strikes into the summer holidays."

Around 500 workers began strike action in April with the number of staff taking industrial action swelling since then to approximately 800 due to the anger over the lack of fair pay.

Heathrow workers assisting passengers with restricted mobility have been taking strike action since April (Credit: Unite the Union)

The workers are angry that they are paid 10 per cent less than colleagues at Gatwick doing the same job.

A second round of strikes took place in May, with five days of fresh industrial action beginning on Monday (16 June) and lasting until Friday (20 June).

Wilson James' refusal to table a reasonable offer has already caused significant disruption to thousands of passengers with restricted mobility, with instances of people missing flights and not being provided with wheelchairs and other assistance.

Between 4,000 and 6,000 passengers with restricted mobility pass through Heathrow every day.

Wilson James' reported gross profits of £35.4 million for the year ending July 2024, with the company's gross turnover increasing by 17.7 per cent from the previous year. Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL), meanwhile, made nearly a billion pounds in pre-tax profits during 2024.

Unite regional officer Martin West said: "Our members take pride in their job and are striking as a last resort. Despite Heathrow's attempts to strike break, passengers will still face disruption, which is entirely the fault of Wilson James for refusing to pay its workers fairly. Strike action will intensify throughout July and August if a reasonable offer is not tabled by Wilson James."