The Union has today launched its Abuse Doesn’t Fly campaign calling for disruptive passengers to be banned from airports.
Its own poll has found 65% of workers at the UK’s biggest airport, including ground staff and cabin crew, have received abuse at least once a month.
Its poll also took place at other UK airports as well as Heathrow.
Unite found abuse and harassment is a “regular part of Heathrow Airport staff’s working experience” with 65% of them receiving verbal abuse at least monthly. Meanwhile 39% had been physically assaulted and 89% said they had witnessed a colleague being abused.
Alcohol was found to be the biggest trigger for abuse from passengers, followed by flight delays or cancellations and baggage issues.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Abuse towards airport and aviation workers is not ‘part of the job’, it is a workplace safety issue that affects workers on the ground and in the air and can ultimately put other passengers at risk. All too often these workers are being left in harmful positions while doing very difficult jobs.
“Airports and airlines now need to up their game on this. They must make the safety of workers their top priority and work with Unite to stamp out workplace abuse once and for all. No worker should ever be put in dangerous situations for simply doing their job.”
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe at work and we have zero tolerance for abuse towards any colleague at Heathrow. We will continue working closely with our airport partners, the airline community and our unions to implement and support measures that serve to keep everyone safe.”
