Heathrow workers in strike ballot

The TGWU hopes the row can be resolved in talks

Hundreds of baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport are being balloted on strikes in a dispute over contracts.

The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) said nearly 800 workers were being balloted and the result will be known later this week.

Talks will also be held in a bid to avert possible travel chaos at the country's busiest airport over Easter.

Rail travellers are also set to face disruption over Easter due with several lines closed for engineering works.

Some services will be replaced during the weekend, which is among the busiest of the year for travel.

The Heathrow workers are being asked whether they want to support a campaign of industrial action which could start over Easter.

The dispute was sparked after baggage handlers and other workers were transferred from Swissport to Aviance, which provides ground handling services.

Dispute talks

The TGWU said the 70 workers were being transferred on different pay, terms and conditions from existing staff, prompting fears of a two-tier workforce.

"We don't want to see a two-tier workforce, where people doing the same job are paid less," said a union spokesman.

Last-ditch talks aimed at averting a walkout will be held on Wednesday and the spokesman said the union was "cautiously optimistic" that the row could be resolved.

Easter is one of the busiest times of the year at Heathrow, with hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers and other travellers catching flights from the airport.

Engineering work will affect rail services in several parts of the UK over the four-day Easter break.

Rail problems

The West Coast and East Coast Main Lines and south-east England are among the services set to be affected.

Some services will be replaced by buses and others will be rescheduled.

South West Trains services between Basingstoke, as well as Winchester and Basingstoke and Andover, will be among those affected.

Diversions will also take place on services north of Preston.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "We are doing a lot of engineering work over Easter in common with previous Easters and Christmas time.

"These are the only two times of the year when we can carry out our biggest engineering jobs."