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LONDON - Thousands of workers at seven of the busiest airports have voted to strike in a dispute over pensions that could cause widespread disruption and closures in the New Year, their union said on Friday.
The Unite union said its members will walk out three times next month in protest at the closure to new employees of the final salary-linked pension scheme of airport operator BAA.
"Without doubt, in my view, it will result in the closure of those seven airports during that timeframe," its National Aviation Secretary Brendan Gold told a news conference. "There will be a huge amount of disruption."
Union members will stage three strikes: two 24-hour walkouts starting at 6 a.m. on January 7 and January 14 and a further 48-hour strike from 6 a.m. on January 17.
Those taking part include fire crews, security staff and clerical workers.
The strike will affect the country's biggest airport Heathrow, as well as Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports.
A spokesman for BAA, owned by Spain's Ferrovial, would not comment on the likely impact at its airports.
He said the company still hoped the strikes could be averted through more talks with the union.
"We would ask for the understanding of passengers as we work hard to resolve this issue," the company said in a statement.
The Chamber of Commerce said the strikes would be a "dreadful" start for the economy in 2008, costing business millions of pounds.
"The reputation of our airports in the eyes of international travellers will be further diminished when travellers get to the UK and are met by chaos," its Director General David Frost said in a statement.
- REUTERS
