Talks to avert strike action at airports in the Highlands and Islands by trades union Unite have today proved unsuccessful.
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited’s senior management team met with the union’s full-time official, staff representatives and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) today.
Last week the union suspended industrial action over pay planned at HIAL’s airports for 9th June to allow further talks to take place today.
HIAL had hoped that Unite would withdraw the industrial action to allow the work of a pay working group, established after last year’s pay dispute, to conclude. This group was looking at changes to working practices which may have freed up additional funds to enhance the 2% pay award for 2007/08.
Regrettably, after several hours of talks, Unite today advised HIAL that it was not prepared to pursue this course of action which had been agreed with ACAS involvement last summer during a dispute over the company’s 2006/07 pay award.
The union has further advised that industrial action planned for 4th July will go ahead and that it intends to stage another 24-hour period of action on 23rd June.
A spokesman for HIAL said: “Today’s development is clearly very disappointing because we now face disruption taking place at our airports in the coming weeks.
“We believe that the pay working group, which was established with ACAS’ involvement last summer, should have been allowed to conclude its work as this could have delivered an enhancement to the current 2% award. However, Unite was not prepared to do this and stated that it was intent on demonstrating its feelings over this year’s pay award to Government via industrial action.
“While we continue to offer further talks there seems little prospect now of averting the action. Unite is fully aware that the only chance to augment the 2% award is via the pay working group. We cannot achieve this without the union’s co-operation,” he said.
The unavailability of fire fighters and leading fire fighters on the days of industrial action will almost certainly lead to the closure of HIAL’s airports for scheduled flights.
Dundee Airport is not affected by the action and will operate as normal.
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