Loganair cabin crew to hold strike ballot over pay dispute as Unite Union rejects latest offer
Cabin crew could go on strike
Loganair cabin crew could go on strike after rejecting a “final” offer over pay, the Unite union has said.
More than 60 cabin crew based out of Southampton, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Isle of Man airports are set to hold a ballot over potential industrial action this month
Unite claims the final wage offer from the company was made before pay negotiations had taken place, and the company posted an after-tax profit of £31.6 million over the last four years.
The company said it was “disappointed” by the union’s move and said it did not expect services to be affected.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Not only is Loganair financially healthy, but its cabin crew are being asked to do more and more at a time when job insecurity has risen for workers. Our members will have their union’s full support throughout this dispute.”
Carrie Binnie, Unite industrial officer, added: “Unite found itself in the unacceptable position of Loganair tabling a final offer before any negotiations had taken place.
“Loganair appears to have no genuine intention of avoiding an escalation in the dispute. Any future strike action involving Loganair cabin crew will be a direct result of the company putting profits before people.”
The ballot will be held between October 8 to October 27, with staff casting votes on whether they believe the union should take industrial action.
In a Loganair statement, it said: “We are aware that Unite is consulting its members on possible industrial action over pay. Having engaged constructively with Unite over recent months, we are disappointed by this move. In late September, we made an improved offer giving certainty over a two-year period, and we learned of its rejection through the media rather than from Unite directly.
“Like every airline, we are operating in a very challenging economic climate, with fuel costs up significantly and consumer demand softening. We value our cabin crew greatly, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement through the recognised collective bargaining process, with hopes that Unite return to the table.
“We do not expect this situation to affect our services, and our priority remains the smooth running of our flights for customers.”