Some 450 passenger assistance staff working for Wilson James at Heathrow will ballot for a strike over unequal pay in comparison to its co-workers at Gatwick airport, reporting an average of 9.5 per cent average less wages for doing the same job.

Wilson James, a security, aviation and construction services company, outsources staff to various regional airports and has deployed staff at Heathrow since 2004. Its workers are represented by the UK trade union, Unite.

Passenger assistance staff are the main point of contact for passengers with reduced mobility that travel through Heathrow.

Wilson James reported 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, while Heathrow Airport Limited reported a profit before tax of £696 million in the nine months to September 30 of the same year.

“Both Wilson James and Heathrow are extremely wealthy. The money is there to close the pay gap – Unite will support our members 100 per cent to ensure that happens,” said Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham.

The ballot for strike action will be closing March 20 and in the event that Wilson James or Heathrow do not return an acceptable pay offer to the Union, assuming there is a majority vote to move forward with the strike, it will have severe consequences for the airport, and broader travel into and out of the UK.

Unite regional officer, Martin West, said: “Heathrow is thriving, and we urge the airport’s management to step in and ensure that its Wilson James workers are properly compensated for their hard work and dedication.”