The Rail, Maritime and Transport union has announced that a second strike is due to go ahead on the Heathrow Express. The industrial action is in protest over pay levels for staff. The 24-hour walkout will begin at 09.15 on 26 June. The strike follows a 48-hour walkout held in May.

The company has offered Heathrow Express workers a 4.5 per cent increase in pay, which employees have rejected. The workers have also decided to ban overtime. They will work to rule from 25 June for 24 hours and again on 27 June. The company said that it will do everything in its power to make sure that travellers will not have their services disrupted out of Paddington.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said that Heathrow Express knew it had offered its staff a completely unacceptable pay rise and that workers had made this clear through the threat of industrial action. He added that the company had refused to renegotiate or improve its offer.

Mr Crow went on to say that Heathrow Express needed to recognise the contribution union members make to running an efficient, profitable service by rewarding them with a reasonable pay package.

A statement has been released by the company in which it claims to be committed to resolving the problem through negotiation adding that its number one priority was to make sure that its customers were not inconvenienced. Customers of the London Underground also face disruption as drivers announce a series of strikes beginning the day before Wimbledon starts.