Passengers could face a summer of travel chaos if workers vote to take strike action in a dispute over pay, a union has warned. Unite said it will ballot around 275 workers at Edinburgh Airport on walkouts, including members employed in security, terminal operations and search areas.
The union claimed members’ pay has been cut by around 10% in real terms over the last seven years, and it said workers are “prepared to fight for a better deal”. Unite said its members at Edinburgh Airport have rejected an inferior pay offer to one made to staff at Gatwick, where it said a 12% increase plus a £1,500 one-off cash payment has been accepted by the workforce.
Edinburgh Airport said it had offered an 11% pay rise along with a £1,000 cost-of-living payment, which it described as “fair and competitive”. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members at Edinburgh Airport made huge sacrifices during the Covid pandemic. They agreed to reductions in pay and conditions. The workers did all this while working around the clock to keep the airport safe and running.
