Home   News   Article

Wick John O'Groats Airport not affected by June strike action





A STRIKE is being planned at airports in the Highlands next month as part of ongoing action by air traffic controllers over a pay claim, although Wick John O'Groats will not be affected.

The Prospect union says a strike is scheduled for June 12. Talks have been taking place between the union and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (Hial) but no agreement has been reached.

Hial managing director Inglis Lyon says the company is preparing a proposal which it hopes can resolve the dispute.

"It is within the flexibility granted by the Scottish Government to examine a retention allowance for air traffic controllers," he said. "We requested that Prospect suspend further dates for strike action to allow consultation on our offer to take place.

"It is extremely disappointing that the union has chosen to ignore our request and announce a further day of strike action on June 12.

Wick John O'Groats will not be affected by the strike action in June.
Wick John O'Groats will not be affected by the strike action in June.

"Our aim is to resolve this dispute as soon as possible and we will continue to engage with Prospect to consult on our proposal."

No-one from the union was available to comment. However, Prospect has said it has been left with no option but to strike as talks with management were unproductive.

The union says air traffic controllers in the north area are paid less than their counterparts elsewhere.

Their argument is supported by Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant, who says controllers in Inverness are paid 12 per cent less than those in Aberdeen, 33 per cent less than those in Edinburgh and 100 per cent less than those at Heathrow.

"The pay gap is even wider for air traffic controllers working on the islands," she said. "How is this fair when they have the exact same training as their counterparts elsewhere?

"The Scottish Government should work out how to resolve this, whether that be paying air traffic controllers more or ending the plans to centralise services."

Hial plans to have its air traffic controlled remotely from a new digital tower based in Inverness.

Wick John O’Groats Airport was not affected by the air traffic control strike action on May 23 due to a “local arrangement” being in place.

It will similarly not be affected by the action planned for June 12.

  • An earlier version of this story stated that Wick John O’Groats Airport would be affected by the June 12 strike. We apologise the error and are happy to set the record straight.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More