London Stansted Airport to face May bank holiday disruption - 4 day warning to passengers
The bustling airport handles around 30 million passengers a year.
Around 100 workers at London Stansted Airport are planning a four-day strike over the early May bank holiday, likely causing disruption for holidaymakers. Workers for ABM are to take industrial action from May 3 to May 6 due to what they consider to be an "unacceptable" pay offer
Many of the staff members perform crucial jobs, including escorting passengers on and off flights and through the airport. The strike had initially been planned for April 17–20 but was called off so workers could vote on a last-minute pay offer. But the strike is now going to go ahead with Unite calling the situation "unacceptable".
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The bustling airport handles around 30 million passengers a year, and in January 2026 alone, Stansted saw more than 1.89 million passengers pass through the terminal, up 2% on the same month last year, the union said.
The union added: “Any strikes will cause delays to flights, as it will take longer to board passengers who rely on this service."
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “ABM staff do a vital job for passengers at the airport, yet they are struggling with low pay while their employer makes huge profits.
“This situation is unacceptable and workers at ABM continue to have Unite's full support.”
Unite added: "Industrial action by Unite members who look after passengers with disabilities at London Stansted Airport will go ahead next month, after they rejected a new pay offer.
"Around 100 workers at ABM will now walk out from 3 May to 6 May, coinciding with the first May bank holiday weekend, after rejecting a substandard pay offer from their employer. ABM staff, who do a crucial job escorting passengers on and off flights and through the airport say the offer failed to tackle low pay."
ABM UK is a leading management company that handles the day-to-day operations and maintenance of large-scale commercial and public facilities.
The business involves keeping shared spaces clean, safe, and running efficiently behind the scenes. It provides a massive range of on-site services including professional cleaning, technical engineering maintenance, and physical security for anything from corporate offices, shopping centres and airports to distribution hubs.
