Wick not affected by air traffic control strike after 'local arrangement'
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WICK John O'Groats Airport will not be affected by the air traffic control strike action due to take place on Thursday in the Highlands and beyond.
Six airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (Hial) – Inverness, Kirkwall, Sumburgh, Benbecula, Dundee and Stornoway – will be closed as a result of the strike by members of the Prospect union at Hial – but an air traffic controller will be working at Wick, it was announced.
Hial said "local arrangement" was in place for Wick John O’Groats Airport and it would remain open to air traffic. The airports at Barra, Campbeltown, Islay and Tiree will also stay open.
The company would not elaborate further on the nature of the Wick arrangement.
Hial managing director Inglis Lyon said: “We sincerely regret this escalation of the pay dispute by Prospect members and apologise for the inconvenience that this has caused our customers.
“We continue to work closely with our airlines to mitigate the effects of strike action and I wish to thank them and all our staff who have worked extremely hard to implement contingency measures.
“Throughout this process, Hial has been fully committed to resolving this dispute. We are disappointed that our efforts to provide possible solutions have been rejected by Prospect and its claim has not altered and remains a wage increase of at least 10 per cent."
Mr Lyon continued: “The union is fully aware of the Scottish Government pay policy that Hial is bound by and was aware prior to submitting its claim.
“The cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity has again confirmed that Hial is not permitted to negotiate a settlement outwith the pay policy.
“We believe Hial air traffic controllers are well remunerated and have already accepted a pay increase backdated to April 2018."
Mr Lyon insisted that pay comparisons with controllers working in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London were "misleading and unrealistic".
He added: “Furthermore, the evidence from the analysis of air traffic controller pay at non-Hial airports jointly undertaken by Hial and Prospect did not support a double-digit wage award.
“There is no evidence to support Prospect’s claim and, quite simply, Hial cannot offer a double-digit pay increase.
“I urge the union to consider the best interests of all its Hial members, our communities and those with a stake in the long-term future of air services in the Highlands and Islands and moderate its claim to help us jointly resolve matters.
“Unless Prospect tempers its claim and Hial is afforded flexibility around the implementation of the Scottish Government’s public pay policy, I do not see a quick resolution to this dispute.”
Prospect was asked for a comment.
