Around 100 workers for ABM are to take industrial action at Stansted Airport in May due to what they claim to be an ‘unacceptable’ pay offer – with flight delays expected
13:37, 23 Apr 2026Updated 14:13, 23 Apr 2026
Strikes are set to take place at Stansted (file)(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Workers at Stansted Airport are set to strike in May after a pay offer was rejected.
Around 100 workers for ABM are to take industrial action from May 3 to May 6 due to what they claim to be an “unacceptable” pay offer. Many of the staff members perform crucial jobs like escorting passengers on and off flights and through the airport.
Staff had been scheduled to take industrial action from April 17 to 20, but it was called off to allow workers to vote on a last-minute pay offer. But the strike is now going to go ahead with Unite calling the situation “unacceptable”.
ABM workers say they have had to take on more responsibilities “as the number of passengers they work with and flights they deal with have increased”, stated Unite.
Around 100 workers for ABM are to take industrial action from May 3 to May 6 (file)(Image: Getty Images)
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The union said: “In January, Stansted saw more than 1.89 million passengers pass through the terminal, up two per cent on the same month last year. 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.
“Many of the workers are paid below the London Living Wage of £14.80. Yet ABM is a highly profitable global company, reporting in March that it made $2.2 billion in revenue, an increase of 6.1 per cent on the previous year.”
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.
The Mirror has contacted ABM for comment.
