Workers at Glasgow Airport are being balloted for strike action in a dispute over pay, with the union warning that summer holiday travel to events such as the World Cup and Commonwealth Games could be disrupted.
Ballot Details
The aviation trade union Unite announced that ICTS central search members based at Glasgow Airport are voting on whether to strike after rejecting what the union described as an ‘unacceptable’ pay offer from the company. The ballot opens on May 1 and closes on May 21.
If the ballot is successful, strike action could begin during the peak summer holiday period, coinciding with the Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2, as well as the World Cup.
Union Statement
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Unite has warned ICTS that our members at Glasgow Airport deserve a better pay offer than what is currently on the table. ICTS is a highly profitable company that can fully afford to make a decent pay offer. The company’s cavalier attitude and failure to make a fair pay offer has created this dispute. Unite will back our ICTS members every step of the way in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.’
Unite stated that around 170 ICTS workers have ‘emphatically’ rejected the pay offer. These workers are responsible for directly dealing with passengers in security search areas, processing them for flights, controlling access posts, covering mobile patrols, and screening all deliveries.
Carrie Donoghue, Unite industrial officer, added: ‘Unite has made it clear that there should be a far better pay offer which reflects the critical role our members perform at Glasgow Airport. The reality is that the airport simply can’t operate without them. It is ICTS that is putting the travelling public at risk during an expected very busy summer due to the World Cup and Commonwealth Games.’
ICTS has been asked for comment.
