FRESH festive strikes threaten travel chaos, to dishevel Harrods, leave Whitehall without caterers, and a shortage of turkeys nationwide.

Unite, Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union and United Voices of the World (UVW) announced strike action by hundreds of workers over the Christmas period today.

Key domestic and international routes at Edinburgh airport are set to be grounded after Unite announced a 19-day strike by fuel tanker workers over pay.

The North Air drivers will walk out from 5am on December 18 to January 6 as they hit out the company’s “belligerence” for refusing to re-enter negotiations.

Members overwhelmingly backed strike action after rejecting a 4.5 per cent offer from the refuelling services company for domestic and international airlines that fly into and out of Scotland’s largest airport in Edinburgh.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “North Air is a highly profitable company that can fully afford to make a fair offer to our members but has refused to do so.

“Unite will always support our members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”

Prestigious routes including United Airlines to New York and Emirates to Dubai along with Loganair’s domestic routes to the islands could be directly affected, said the union.

Meanwhile, Whitehall ministers may have to forgo hot lunches after security guards, pass officers and receptionists announced 10 days’ strike action from December 23 to January 3.

The 155 PCS union members employed by G4S at the Cabinet Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Department for Business and Trade are to join fellow outsourced workers employed by ISS and OCS working as caterers and cleaners in taking strike action across Whitehall and at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in East Kilbride. 

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “For as long as G4S refuses to talk with us, this dispute shows no sign of ending.
 
“Our members are rightly angry at how they’re being treated by their employer, and the lack of respect shown to them.
 
“G4S could end this dispute tomorrow by increasing their pay offer, introducing company sick pay and increasing annual leave for our members.”

Well-heeled shoppers also face a dirtier Harrods as hundreds of workers strike over pre-Christmas weekend and Boxing Day.

Retail, restaurant, kitchen and cleaning workers at the posh central London retailer are to walk out during the busiest retail dates of the year as shoppers scramble for Christmas preparations and savings.

Today, they vowed to strike on the weekend of December 21 and 22 as well as Boxing Day if the luxury store continues to deny them a Christmas bonus and improved working conditions.

The largely migrant workforce returned a resounding Yes vote with 95 per cent in favour of strike action as Harrods management continued to ignore their demands and refused to engage or even recognise their union, UVW.

Harrods cleaner Ana Ferreira added: “We feel they are not treating people fairly, that they seem to think we are donkeys or machines … this had always been a bit like that but now it seems to have got worse.”

UVW general secretary Petros Elia said Harrods bosses are denying their dedicated workforce Christmas bonuses and fair wages while “lavishing obscene sums” on its billionaire owners.

He added: “We call on Harrods to come to the table and negotiate so the store can remain open for Christmas shopping and continue to serve all Londoners this festive season.”

North Air said it remains “open to discussion,” adding: “We are disappointed at Unite’s decision to proceed with industrial action at Edinburgh airport.”

A Harrods spokesperson said it was “committed to working with our colleagues directly to address concerns.”

Unite could also cut the supply of turkeys to supermarkets this Christmas, with industrial action against the Shropshire-based logistics company Culina over a failure to give delivery drivers a pay rise.

The union warned that there could be a “shortage of Christmas turkeys” as a result of its planned industrial action on December 19 and 20, and that families “could see empty tables this Christmas.”

Culina’s contract is with Avara Foods, which delivers poultry from abattoirs to warehouses belonging to Tesco and Marks and Spencer.

A spokesperson for Avara said: “We understand that discussions between Culina and Unite are ongoing and we hope they will reach a mutually agreeable solution.

“We expect to meet our Christmas commitments for turkey in full.”