Tens of thousands of airline passengers are likely to suffer delays and cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow, Britain's two busiest airports, because of separate industrial disputes this weekend.
The 600 baggage handlers and maintenance staff at Gatwick plan to strike on Saturday and on Thursday next week in a row about working conditions and the suspension of a senior shop steward.
Servisair, which acts for 30 airlines at Gatwick, made contingency plans to minimise the disruption. And last ditch talks took place to avert a walkout at Heathrow, where the refuelling company AFS tabled a fresh offer to T&G members.
Forty refuellers, whose 60-tonne tankers serve almost two-thirds of Heathrow departures, are threatening to strike tomorrow and Saturday in a dispute about pay, overtime, pensions and cuts in sickness benefits.
On average 170,000 passengers a day pass through Heathrow and 82,000 through Gatwick, and the British Airports Association admits that there will be disruptions if the strikes go ahead.
The T&G , which is involved in both disputes, says that the Gatwick shop steward was victimised and suspended for raising health and safety concerns, an allegation denied by Servisair.
Kevin Hall, its lead negotiator at Heathrow, accused AFS of treating with disdain an "olive branch" offer to call off the strike and discuss other issues later if the salaries of the tanker drivers were increased from £22,515 to £25,000 a year.
A Heathrow spokeswoman said: "AFS supply 170 aircraft belonging to 40 airlines. A total of 340 flights a day are supplied by the company out of a total of 1,250.
"Talks are still being held to try and avert the strike, but should it go ahead we will be putting plans in place to ensure minimum disruption to travellers."
A Gatwick spokeswoman said: "Gatwick airport and Servisair are working to ensure that contingency plans are put in place so that if the strike does go ahead minimum disruption will be felt."
