Summer airport strike threat lifted after pay deals struck
Deal at Glasgow Airport struck following agreement in Aberdeen
Hundreds of workers at one of Scotland’s busiest airports have backed a new pay deal in a move that staves off fears of widespread disruption due to industrial action this summer.
Nearly 400 members of staff employed by Menzies Aviation and ICTS at Glasgow Airport had backed plans to strike after rejecting what they described as “unacceptable” offers.
The proposed action had been expected to coincide with the traditionally busy summer holiday getaway and the staging of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which is expected to usher in hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city.
However, the Unite union has announced that the workers have now secured “enhanced offers,” lifting the threat of imminent strike action.
Around 230 ICTS workers at Glasgow Airport who deal with passengers directly in the security search areas and process them for flights have backed a two year pay deal.
Under the agreement, a five per cent increase in basic pay and shift allowances will be backdated to 1 January with a one-off bank holiday included in this year's deal. In 2027, the workers will receive the RPI inflation rate plus one per cent in basic and shift pay alongside a boost to terms and conditions from 1 January.
Around 160 ground services crew employed by Menzies Aviation at Glasgow will recieve a 4.4 per cent increase backdated to January, and then from 1 July a minimum pay increase of five per cent rising to 11.1 per cent for some workers. The one year pay deal covers Menzies dispatchers, allocators, airside agents, and controllers.
Carrie Donoghue, Unite’s industrial officer, said: “Unite is pleased to have delivered two pay deals covering Menzies Aviation and ICTS workers based at Glasgow Airport. The resolution of these disputes removes the threat of strike action at Glasgow airport and ensures that no disruption happens during the extremely busy summer period.”
The union’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, added: “Hundreds of frontline workers at Glasgow airport have secured vastly improved pay deals. This is a direct result of the workers refusing to accept their employers’ pitiful pay offers and to fight for better pay which they successfully secured after the threat of strike action.”
It comes after Unite announced last week that potential strike action at Aberdeen Airport had been averted after two groups of key workers secured new pay deals.
Approximately 70 workers at the airport struck a 4.2 per cent one year day after supporting going on strike in an industrial action ballot.
The workers to benefit from the pay deal include administrative staff, airfield operators, technicians, firefighters, and crew commanders
Another pay dispute involving around 70 ICTS workers at the airport was also resolved after they backed a two year pay deal, which includes a five per cent increase in basic pay and shift allowances backdated to 1 January.
An industrial action ballot involving ICTS HBS security staff at Aberdeen Airport remains open and will close on 17 June. Unite said that no new pay offer had been put to the security staff since they rejected an unacceptable pay offer.
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