Heathrow strike looms as baggage talks fail

Crisis talks to try to avert a damaging strike by hundreds of baggage handlers at Heathrow broke up last night without agreement.

Union leaders will today declare the result of a ballot among 800 workers, which is expected to endorse a strike call.

The first walkout could now take place a week tomorrow - Good Friday - threatening travel chaos over the holiday weekend.

The dispute is over 70 baggage handlers and other ground staff taken on by Aviance last year following the collapse of rival company Swissport.

The Transport & General union says the staff have been hired under far less favourable conditions than those enjoyed by existing employees - creating a twotier workforce.

It is now hoped the talks will resume tomorrow after the result of the ballot has been announced.

Meanwhile, the GMB union announced that it is to ballot 200 of its members at Heathrow over the same dispute.