Summer strikes averted at Glasgow Airport as pay deals struck

Summer strikes at one of Scotland's busiest airports have been averted after two new pay deals were struck.

Nearly 400 workers at Glasgow Airport have accepted offers from bosses at ICTS and Menzies Aviation, lifting the threat of strikes during the World Cup and Commonwealth Games.

The conflict involved two different employers and workers in roles such as ground services and dealing directly with passengers in security search areas.

Strike action remains possible at Aberdeen and Edinburgh Airports, though two groups of workers also accepted a new pay deal at Aberdeen last week.

Carrie Donoghue, an industrial officer with trade union Unite, said the deals mean there will be "no disruption at Glasgow during the extremely busy summer period."

Earlier this year, workers had backed strike action with Unite saying the companies were "choosing to boost profits before people" and calling for better pay offers.

The strikes would have likely clashed with some of the summer's big sporting events, with Scots returning from trips to the USA for the World Cup, or with visitors flying into Glasgow to see the Commonwealth Games, as well as the school summer holidays.

Around 230 of the Glasgow staff work for security company ICTS, dealing with passengers directly in security search areas and processing them for flights.

They have agreed a two year pay deal that includes a 5% increase in basic pay, shift allowances backdated to 1 January, and a one-off bank holiday.

In 2027, workers will receive the RPI inflation rate plus 1% more basic and shift pay, alongside a boost to terms and conditions from 1 January.

A further 160 ground services crew employed by Menzies Aviation will receive a 4.4% increase backdated to January, followed by a minimum pay increase of 5% from 1 July.

Unite said this could rise to as much as 11.1% for some workers.

The one year pay deal covers Menzies dispatchers, allocators, airside agents, and controllers.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "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."

Menzies Aviation previously said that the company's pay deals had "consistently increased above inflation" in recent years, and that it had remained hopeful of coming to an amicable resolution with Unite.

Last week an agreement was reached at Aberdeen Airport between Unite and two employers, one of whom was ICTS.

That deal affected about 70 workers and was identical to the terms accepted by the ICTS workers at Glasgow Airport.

Another agreement was reached between the union and the airport itself, covering a further 70 workers who handle roles like administrative staff, airfield operators, technicians, firefighters and crew commanders.

However a industrial action ballot involving ICTS HBS security staff is still ongoing and will remain open until 17 June.

Around 370 workers employed by Edinburgh Airport Limited as airport ambassadors, airside support officers, engineers and managers also remain in dispute with their employer.