Potential travel disruptions loom this summer as a union has raised concerns that 900 airport employees are set to vote on taking industrial action due to pay disagreements. The aviation trade union Unite disclosed plans to open several ballots this week to decide on strike actions during the summer at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow airports.
Unite has indicated that if the vote succeeds, strikes could commence during the peak summer holiday period, coinciding with the Commonwealth Games scheduled in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2 and the World Cup in the United States. Four of the ballots are expected to close by May 21, while ICTS staff members in Aberdeen have until May 28 to cast their votes.
Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, stated, “Numerous workers at Scotland’s major airports are moving towards strike action this summer. The companies involved are all highly profitable and could easily provide fair and reasonable pay offers to our members. However, they have prioritized profit margins over the well-being of their employees.”
Unite highlighted that ICTS employees are directly involved in passenger interactions within security search zones, flight processing, access control, mobile patrols, and delivery screenings. Workers from Edinburgh Airport Limited, including airport ambassadors, airside support officers, engineers, and managers, are also part of the balloting process, along with approximately 280 ground services crew members employed by Menzies Aviation.
Carrie Donoghue, Unite industrial officer, commented, “Any potential strike action could disrupt flight schedules and passenger services during a busy period coinciding with the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. The responsibility for this situation solely rests with the highly affluent companies involved. By promptly resolving these disputes, they can offer peace of mind to the traveling public.”
A spokesperson from Glasgow Airport mentioned last week, “We are monitoring the ongoing discussions between Unite and ICTS closely and are committed to facilitating a positive resolution through dialogue.”
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.