Sharjah24 - AFP: Refuelling staff at London's Heathrow airport have suspended planned strike action in a dispute over pay at the eleventh hour, the Unite union said on Wednesday.
The move had threatened to disrupt flights from Thursday to Sunday at the UK's largest airport.
The announcement is a rare glimmer of good news for passengers travelling at the beleaguered airport, which is already suffering from delays and caps on passenger numbers owing to staff shortages.
The strike by Aviation Fuel Services (AFS) employees would have affected Virgin Atlantic, United, Singapore, KLM, American, Emirates, Air France and Delta flights, which use the company's services.
In a statement, Unite said that following negotiations held at the conciliation service ACAS on Wednesday, "a sustainably improved offer was made and as a consequence Unite suspended the strike action to allow its members to ballot on the new offer".
Unite regional officer Kevin Hall said: "Unite has consistently said that AFS was capable of making an offer more likely to meet members' expectations. Following the assistance of ACAS an improved offer was made.
"Members will now be given the time to consider and vote on the new offer."
The union previously said these workers had not received a pay rise for three years, and in this time their incomes fell by 15.5 percent in real terms.
Soaring inflation in the country could now top 11 percent this year.
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