Work-to-rule industrial action at Highland and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) airports has forced Loganair to temporarily suspend its flights on routes between affected airports.
Unions representing employees at airports operated by HIAL are presently engaged in discontinuous strike action and further action short of a strike, in the form of a work-to-rule.
Services from Inverness to Stornoway and Benbecula, and from Inverness to Kirkwall and Sumburgh, have been suspended as result.
This will take effect from 17 March - a day when Inverness is closed due to strike action in any event - and will initially run until 30 April. Customers booked on Loganair flights between these points will be contacted and offered the option of rebooking on alternative routes or a full refund.
Loganair noted that the impact of the work-to-rule is far less predictable – if, for example, a single member of the HIAL team has time off work for sickness, a family emergency or suchlike, their shift cannot be covered through overtime or shift swaps. This leads to a position where shifts cannot be manned to the required minimum levels to enable flights to take place, causing cancellations and delays with either very limited advance notice or none at all.
Where Loganair flights are operating from HIAL airports to other destinations unaffected by the industrial action - such as Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen - the impact can generally be managed within operational flexibility available on the day. However, where flights are taking place between HIAL airports - such as from Inverness to Kirkwall and onwards to Sumburgh, or Inverness to Stornoway - then the cumulative effect of rolling restrictions at each airport in turn means that it becomes impossible to reasonably assure the provision of a service between them.
A spokesperson for Loganair said: “We completely understand that this unprecedented step will be unwelcome news to communities who depend on the air services Loganair provides.
“We have sadly concluded that it’s simply not realistic to continue our efforts to provide services between HIAL airports when the action short of a strike is intended to disrupt and counter those efforts at every turn.
“The suspension provides advance certainty around which our customers can adjust travel plans, as opposed to facing the risk of on-the-day flight cancellations or significant delays.
“We hope that the period of suspension - initially through to 30 April - will provide time and space for the parties to this dispute to meet and reach a resolution, enabling these long-running services to resume thereafter.”
Union members - including baggage handlers, ground crew and security, fire service and administration staff - recently went on strike, after rejecting an improved pay deal in February.
The Prospect, Unite and the PCS unions previously rejected a 5% pay offer made last year.
HIAL met with union representatives last Wednesday, but it did not table a formal offer.
Inglis Lyon, HIAL’s managing director, said: “We apologise for the disruption this will cause for our customers, the ongoing industrial action is having a significant impact on our airline partners and the announcement by Loganair to temporarily suspend some flights will cause considerable disruption for our island communities.
“At the meeting with the trade unions we sought, and obtained, clarity on the key elements on their claim in a bid to resolve the dispute.
“It is vital that we find a mutual solution to resolve this dispute and will now discuss our options within the parameters of public sector pay flexibility with the HIAL board and Transport Scotland.”
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