Crucial talks between BAA and Unite have been held today to try and avert the threat of strikes by airport workers which could cause misery for many holiday makers and travelers before the end of the school holidays. Leaders of the union and senior managers from BAA will meet in hope that they can resolve a row over pay involving over 6,000 security staff, engineers and firefighters at six airports. The airports involved which are Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen could cause severe problems for travelers if the strikes go ahead.
Unite members voted in favor of industrial action in protest at a 1 per cent pay offer, with Unite sating that its members accepted a wage freeze last year and cooperated with changes to their pension scheme, so deserved a bigger pay rise. However the Spanish owners of BAA offered them an additional 0.5 per cent but this was conditional on changes to the firm’s sickness agreement, the union stated.
Speaking about the talks which will be held at the conciliation services Acas BAA said it was looking forward to the Acas meeting, adding: “We hope that we can quickly conclude an agreement, in the interests of the travelling public, our airlines and our staff, the majority of whom did not vote for a strike.”
If there is no breakthrough at the Acas talks leaders of Unite will meet shop stewards today to decide their next move, which could lead to strike dates being announced, this could mean the airports would close down because of strikes and that travel plans of millions of holidaymakers and other passengers would be hit. The Union would have to give seven days notice of strike action which means they could go ahead before the end of the school holidays.
