Edinburgh Airport strike threat averted after pay deal for 400 staff
Deal follows separate dispute resolved at Glasgow Airport - but Aberdeen Airport strike ballot ongoing
The threat of strikes disrupting summer flights at Edinburgh Airport was averted on Monday when more than 400 staff accepted a pay deal.
Resolution of the dispute came hours after a similar number employed by Menzies Aviation and security firm ICTS at Glasgow Airport accepted a deal after also voting to take industrial action.
The union Unite said it had won a two-year deal worth at least 9.5 per cent for workers directly employed by Edinburgh - Scotland’s busiest airport - including engineers and managers.
It said that comprised a 5.5 per cent or £1,800 increase this year followed by 4 per cent rise or the RPI inflation rate plus 0.5 per cent from January.
The union said the deal also included improvements to shift, sickness and paternity pay for those involved, who also include airport ambassadors and airside support officers.
Unite had announced on May 21 that the staff had voted to strike and said it would “announce strike dates in the coming days”.
However, that never happened, with the union stating that negotiations were continuing.
It had threatened disruption during the World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
But, as The Scotsman reported, pay disputes involving strike ballots are common at the airports at this time of year but are often resolved before any industrial action goes ahead.
A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “We are pleased that a deal has been agreed.”
The Glasgow deal involved a two-year for some 230 ICTS staff of a 5 per cent increase this year followed by the RPI inflation rate plus 1 per cent in 2027.
Meantime, around 160 ground services staff at Menzies Aviation will receive a 4.4 per cent rise backdated to January followed by 5-11.5 per cent from July.
Those affected include dispatchers, allocators, airside agents and controllers.
On Friday, two pay disputes involving Unite members at Aberdeen Airport who had threatened to strike were also settled.
Some 70 workers directly employed by the airport won a 4.2 per cent increase, including administrative staff, airfield operators, technicians, firefighters, and crew commanders.
A further 70 people employed by ICTS agreed a two-year deal comprising a 5 per cent increase this year followed by the RPI inflation rate plus 1 per cent in 2027. RPI is currently 3 per cent.
However, Unite members among ICTS HBS security staff are being balloted until Thursday for strike action after rejecting an “unacceptable” pay offer.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said on Monday: “Hundreds of Unite’s members employed at Edinburgh Airport stood firm to get a better deal.
“This result was only achieved by the workers being prepared to take strike action if necessary to get what they deserved. It’s another win for Unite in the aviation industry in Scotland.”
Unite industrial officer, Carrie Donoghue said: “Unite is pleased to have reached a good outcome for our members employed by the owners of Edinburgh Airport.
“The two-year pay deal will see a significant boost to basic pay, shift allowances and wider working conditions.”
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