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May 2024 strikes: Full list of walkout dates, from trains and Tube to flights

Strikes on the uk's rail network and at heathrow airport are set to disrupt travel in may.

With two bank holidays the month of May is often seen as the perfect time to get away but this year that could be hampered by a series of strikes which will cause travel chaos.

Rail services, the London Underground and Heathrow Airpor t will all be hit by industrial action this month, some of it coinciding with the first May bank holiday.

Train drivers union Aslef, Tube workers who are members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) and around 800 members of the union Unite based at Heathrow are all to stage walkouts or overtime bans during the month.

It means travel disruption will be inevitable for some this month.

When are the train strikes?

Train drivers union Aslef has announced its members will walk out in another series of one-day strikes, coupled with a six-day overtime ban.

This will affect 16 train companies with which the union is still in dispute. over pay for drivers.

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “Drivers would not vote to strike if they thought an offer was acceptable.

“They don’t. And that offer – now a year old – is dead in the water.”

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail companies, said: “This wholly unnecessary strike action called by the ASLEF leadership will sadly disrupt customers and businesses once again, while further damaging the railway at a time when taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54 million a week just to keep services running.

“We continue to seek a fair agreement with the ASLEF leadership which both rewards our people, gives our customers more reliable services and makes sure the railway isn’t taking more than its fair share from taxpayers.”

The industrial action will be on:

Tuesday 7 May – affecting c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia (which includes Stansted Express), Great Northern, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway (which includes Island Line) and Thameslink.

Wednesday 8 May – Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Heathrow Express, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway.

Thursday 9 May – LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express.

There will also be an overtime ban from Monday 6 May to Saturday 11 May which may alter the timetable of trains that will be running.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel, as the action is likely to lead to delays and cancellations.

When are the Tube strikes?

Members of TSSA rail union working as customer service manager on the London Underground are already going on strike on Friday 26 April .

TSSA Customer Service Managers at London Underground will also take part in an overtime ban from Monday 29 April to Friday 5 May , which will include the May bank holiday.

This overtime ban is expected to lead to station closures at very short notice.

TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “We will continue to take sustained action until London Underground is prepared to negotiate with us in good faith.”

Transport for London, which runs London Underground, has said it is “disappointed” by the planned action and has urged TSSA urge TSSA to “continue to work with us to help find a resolution.”

A planned strike by Aslef members on the London Underground for Saturday 4 May has now been called off.

When are the Heathrow Airport strikes?

Heathrow, the UK’s largest airport, is facing major disruption in May with a series of strikes across different departments.

Unite union has said almost 800 members will be taking part in a week of strike action beginning at 12.01am on Tuesday 7 May and ending at 11.50pm on Monday 13 May in a dispute over the outsourcing of jobs.

Jobs in passenger services (assisting travellers to catch connecting flights), trolley operations and campus security (security guards responsible for workers at Heathrow and vehicles being checked entering Heathrow) are expected to be outsourced by 1 June.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Heathrow Airport’s actions are deplorable, it is raking in massive profits for the bosses while trying to squeeze every last penny out of its workforce.”

Unite members from passenger services, trolley operations, campus security, firefighters and airside operations will strike from 7 May up to and including 13 May.

In a separate dispute, Unite members at AFS Ltd, an airline refuelling company, are also taking part in industrial action at Heathrow Airport on Saturday 4 May , Sunday 5 May and Monday 6 May (bank holiday) over pay and conditions.

Unite said the action will “inevitably cause widespread disruption across the airport leading to delays and disruption.”

A Heathrow Airport spokesperson said: “We are reorganising our operations to deliver better results for our customers.

“There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted.

Unite’s threats of potential industrial action are unnecessary, and customers can be reassured that we will keep the airport operating smoothly just like we have in the past.”

Border Force staff, who are members of the PCS union, and responsible for immigration controls and passport checks are due to go on strike for four days between Monday 29 April and Thursday 2 May in the run-up to the bank holiday.

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How Heathrow airport strikes could threaten your bank holiday travel plans

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Strikes will take charge of Heathrow Airport next month, threatening travel during the Early May Bank Holiday .

Planes could be grounded and flights delayed or cancelled at the busiest airport in London .

Two separate rounds of industrial action are planned from the beginning of May.

In 2023, Heathrow handled almost 80 million (79,180,434) passengers, also making it  one of the busiest  in the world.

This is everything you need to know if you are planning to travel from Heathrow during this period.

What strikes are planned at Heathrow Airport?

The  Heathrow Border Force workers are striking  between April 29 and May 2, and that involves the UK Border Force offices working on passport control across all four Heathrow terminals.

Refuelers working for Aviation Fuel Services (AFS) are to take industrial action for 72 hours beginning on Saturday, May 4.

Previously, a strike had been scheduled between April 11 and 14, but it was called off a week before it was due to begin as PCS (the Public and Commercial Services Union) were waiting for the Home Office to ‘demonstrate they are genuinely seeking a resolution,’ according the organisation’s general secretary Fran Heathcote.

They are responsible for refuelling aircraft at Heathrow from 35 airlines including Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Emirates, Air France, Japan Airlines, Bulgaria Air and Rwanda Air.

It is a Bank Holiday weekend – one of the busiest travelling weekends of the year.

Another strike will take place for almost a week, from Tuesday, May 7, to Monday, May 13.

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This is due to a separate dispute involving members of Unite the union who work in passenger services and security.

Why are border control staff striking?

Heathrow Border Force workers are striking over changes to their working conditions, PCS trade union revealed earlier in April.

The strike will see more than 300 of its members walk out over an issue with the new rostering system, which PSC representatives claim ‘would have a detrimental effect on all the current staff and leave nearly 250 without a job on passport control, including many with disabilities or caring responsibilities.’

Unite also confirmed that, between May 7 and May 13, almost 800 workers will walk out over plans to outsource hundreds of roles in an effort to cut costs.

‘There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted,’ a spokesperson for Heathrow previously told Reuters.

‘To confirm, we have robust contingency plans in place for each of these individual areas and anticipate no impact on passenger journey.’

Heathrow said the airport’s reorganisation would see all passenger-facing security sourced in-house, with small trolley operations and passenger logistics teams transferred to third-party suppliers (who already work with the airport).

Why are refuelling staff striking?

Refuelers say their employer imposed drastic cuts to the terms and conditions of new staff recruited since January 2024.

Unite accused AFS, a joint venture between oil and gas companies, of ‘bully-boy tactics’, saying it is attacking the ‘most vulnerable new staff’ in its workplace by offering them reduced pension and sickness benefits.

General secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘AFS is behaving appallingly by attacking the T&Cs of new members of staff – those it views as the easiest to intimidate.

‘But Unite will not stand for such bully-boy tactics and we will be backing our members in their fight for improved pensions and sick pay for all staff.’

Another 800 of Unite members are planning to strike later in May due to what the union called ‘deplorable action’ from the airport’s management.

The union said workers in passenger services, who assist travellers to catch connecting flights, trolley operations, and security guards will have their jobs outsourced by June.

Ms Graham vowed to give striking staff ‘unrelenting support’, adding: ‘Heathrow Airport’s actions are deplorable.

‘It is raking in massive profits for the bosses while trying to squeeze every last penny out of its workforce.’

What impact will the industrial action have on flights?

Border Force staff mostly only check arrivals at UK airports, so the greatest impact will be on people landing from abroad.

Regarind the refuelling strike, Unite says the strike action ‘will inevitably cause widespread disruption across the airport, leading to delays and disruption’.

Though it isn’t clear what plans the Home Office has for dealing with potential staff shortages, during the last walk-out in December 2022, military personnel and civil servant volunteers were trained up to replace Border Force staff and deal with delays.

If passengers do experience delays to their flight as a result, they won’t be able to access compensation as the issue is beyond the airlines’ control.

However, the airline will need to provide frequent updates and, if needed, an alternative flight, as well as meals and accommodation during the delays.

What is Heathrow Airport’s response?

Heathrow Airport is working on contingencies with AFS to manage any potential disruption during the Early May Bank Holiday.

It said it has ‘robust’ measures planned, adding that passengers can book flights from Heathrow with confidence.

Regarding the industrial action planned by staff in passenger services, a spokesperson said: ‘We are reorganising our operations to deliver better results for our customers.

‘There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted.

‘Unite’s threats of potential industrial action are unnecessary, and customers can be reassured that we will keep the airport operating smoothly, just like we have in the past.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

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Prince Harry returning to UK for first time since visiting King Charles following his cancer diagnosis

The Duke of Sussex is due to visit the UK in May for the first major event he has attended in Britain for some time.

Sunday 28 April 2024 13:07, UK

Prince Harry is returning to the UK next month for the first time since his rushed visit to see the King after his cancer diagnosis. 

The Duke of Sussex will attend a ceremony on 8 May marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games .

The service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral is the first major event he has attended in Britain for some time.

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It is not known if any other royals will be in attendance at the service, or if the Duchess of Sussex or the couple's children will be in the UK.

Harry made a brief trip to the UK in February, spending about 45 minutes with his father , who had just started treatment for cancer.

Read more: Prince Harry officially declares US his new home King Charles to return to public-facing duties

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

The duke is expected to provide a reading at the event, which marks a decade since the inaugural Invictus Games in London in 2014.

The games were founded as a sporting event for injured and sick military personnel and veterans.

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Actor Damian Lewis is set to recite the Invictus poem during the service.

Representatives from across the Invictus Games participating nations, including members of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veteran community, will also be in attendance.

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Why Meghan Markle and children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will not travel to the UK with Harry next month

There is one reason keeping the duke of sussex's wife and two children away from the uk.

The Duke of Sussex is reportedly visiting the UK next month, to attend the Invictus Games’ 10th Anniversary Service which will be held on 8 May at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Although Harry’s appearance is yet to be confirmed, with reports also indicating he may choose to appear via video call, three people that are very unlikely to attend are the Duchess of Sussex and their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet .

In A Right Royal Podcast’s latest episode, titled A Right Royal Jam , co-hosts Andrea Caamano and Emmy Griffiths, as well as HELLO!’s royal editor Emily Nash, talk to The Daily Telegraph’ s royal editor, Hannah Furness, about Prince Harry’s possible visit, with Hannah revealing why Meghan and their children will not travel to the UK just yet. Listen below.

LISTEN: The reason why Meghan and her children don't want to visit the UK just yet

Also in the episode, Hannah talks at length about Meghan’s latest venture, her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard , and her company’s first product, which she has sent to fifty of her nearest and dearest, a personalised homemade jar of jam.

“This isn't necessarily what we were led to expect when they first left the royal family. There was a lot of talk about philanthropy. They did all these events not long after they left the UK: Black Lives Matter, gender equality, voting in America, all kinds of topics that are quite serious and quite philanthropic. And that has spun out and sort of quietly disappeared, and in its place, we have this new product range, which will be coming out in the next month or so."

“It’s exciting,” she adds. “The royal beat has become quite difficult this year and quite challenging. It's been quite sad actually, in a lot of ways. So, this is quite a nice boost.”

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During the new episode, co-hosts Andrea and Emmy talk to Emily about Prince Louis’ ‘unedited’ sixth birthday portrait, taken by mum Kate, as well as to colleagues Sophie Hamilton, who travelled to Bucharest with Sarah, Duchess of York , to an orphanage, and Alexandra Hurtado, who interviewed Prince Harry’s best friend Nacho Figueras ahead of their polo match in Florida earlier this month in aid of Sentebale.

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Runaway horses in ‘serious condition’ after bolting through central London

Animals ran through rush-hour streets, colliding with vehicles and leaving four people in hospital

Two of the military horses that broke loose during a morning exercise and bolted through central London on Wednesday are in “serious condition” and have been operated on, according to officials.

The runaway horses, including one white horse drenched in blood, ran through the rush-hour streets of the capital, colliding with vehicles and resulting in four people being taken to hospital.

“There were five horses. They have all been recovered. Three of them are fine, two of them are unfortunately in a relatively serious condition and obviously we will be monitoring that condition,” the defence minister James Cartlidge told Sky News.

Four of the seven horses, Vida, Trojan, Quaker and Tennyson, broke loose after being “spooked”, the British army said in a statement on X.

Two horses were operated on last night with one transferred to an equine hospital, it said, and the three soldiers involved were expected to recover fully and return to duty.

“Our horses receive the highest standards of care, and those that did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course,” the statement said.

A group of seven horses and six soldiers from the Household Cavalry based at Hyde Park barracks were on an extended exercise in Belgravia on Wednesday at about 8.40am when chaos erupted.

Astonished witnesses described “total mayhem” as five of the horses broke loose. Four service personnel were thrown from their horses and it is understood three soldiers were assessed in hospital for their injuries, which were not thought to be serious.

Pictures and videos shared on social media showed two horses running through central London. One collided with a parked taxi outside the Clermont hotel in Buckingham Palace Road, smashing the windows of the Mercedes people carrier. Another horse crashed into a parked doubledecker tour bus, smashing the windscreen.

Cartlidge described the incident as an “exceptional situation”, adding that more than 150 animals were on exercise in the capital each day.

“Obviously, we didn’t want that situation to happen. What I would stress to you is that this is very exceptional,” he said.

“Unfortunately we have seen what has happened, but all I can say is the crucial thing, as you said yourself, no serious injuries to the public as far as we aware, and of course we will be keeping an eye on the situation.”

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U.S. tourist faces 12 years in prison after taking ammunition to Turks and Caicos

An Oklahoma man faces up to 12 years in prison on a Caribbean island after customs officials found ammunition in his luggage.

Ryan Watson traveled to Turks and Caicos with his wife, Valerie, to celebrate his 40th birthday on April 7. They went with two friends who had also turned 40.

The vacation came to an abrupt end when airport staff members found a zip-close bag containing bullets in the couple's carry-on luggage. Watson said it was hunting ammunition he had accidentally brought with him — but under a strict law in Turks and Caicos, a court may still impose a mandatory 12-year sentence.

"They were hunting ammunition rounds that I use for whitetail deer," Watson told NBC Boston in an interview conducted last week that aired after their first court appearance Tuesday.

"I recognized them, and I thought, 'Oh, man, what a bonehead mistake that I had no idea that those were in there,'" he said.

The couple were arrested and charged with possession of ammunition. Authorities seized their passports and explained the penalties they faced.

Valerie Watson said in the interview: "When I heard that, I immediately was terrified, because I was like we can't both be in prison for 12 years. We have kids at home, and this is such an innocent mistake."

The charges against her were dropped, and she returned home to Oklahoma City on Tuesday after the court hearing to be reunited with her two young children.

"Our goal is to get Ryan home, because we can’t be a family without Dad," she said.

The couple also spoke about the financial burden of a much longer-than-planned trip. "This is something that we may never recover from," Ryan Watson said.

The U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas issued a warning to travelers in September about a law that strongly prohibits possession of firearms or ammunition in Turks and Caicos, an overseas British territory southeast of the Bahamas that is a popular vacation spot.

It said: "We wish to remind all travelers that declaring a weapon in your luggage with an airline carrier does not grant permission to bring the weapon into TCI [Turks and Caicos Islands] and will result in your arrest."

The embassy added: "If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, we will not be able to secure your release from custody."

The embassy and the government in Turks and Caicos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The same thing happened to another American, Bryan Hagerich, of Pennsylvania, who was arrested after ammunition was found in his luggage before he tried to board a flight out of Turks and Caicos in February. He said he accidentally left it in his bag.

Hagerich was on a family vacation with his wife and two young children but has now been in the country for 70 days. He spent eight days in prison before he posted bail.

"It’s incredibly scary. You know, you just don’t know what the next day may bring — you know, what path this may take," Hagerich told NBC Boston.

"You know, it’s certainly a lot different than packing your bags and going away with your family for a few days. It’s been the worst 70 days of my life," he said.

Hagerich, once a professional baseball player, was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the MLB 2007 June amateur draft from the University of Delaware.

His case goes to trial May 3.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.