Loganair cabin crew are being balloted on industrial action after rejecting a “final” wage offer from the company before pay negotiations had taken place.
More than 60 cabin crew involved in the ballot are based at Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Isle of Man and Southampton airports, serving flights across the UK and Ireland.
Unite has criticised Loganair management for failing to negotiate with the union by tabling a final pay offer before any negotiations had taken place. The union said the attempt to force the offer on cabin crew was immediately rejected as unacceptable.
Workload Pressures
The union is also highlighting increasing workload pressures on cabin crew alongside job insecurity following Loganair’s decision in August to stop its public service obligation routes in and out of Dundee Airport.
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.”
The ballot opens tomorrow (October 8) and closes on October 27.
Unite said Loganair Limited has registered an after-tax profit of £31.6 million over the last four years.
Unite Industrial Officer Carrie Donoghue said: “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.”
Shouldn’t Affect Services
A Loganair spokesperson 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.”
Manx.News has contacted Unite for comment.
Isle of Man Government has declined the opportunity to comment.
