Airport staff told to train bosses, strike union claims

AN AIRPORT boss has denied union claims that security staff are being forced to train management to do their jobs ahead of a threatened strike.

The 160 workers at 11 airports run by state-owned Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (Hial) are to be balloted later this month in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Any action would start in the week beginning 4 July, just three days before the start of the Barclays Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, close to Inverness Airport.

The Prospect union said staff had been offered a "miserly" 1 per cent increase to their current rates of as little as 6.85 an hour. It claimed workers were also denied sick pay, overtime payments or additional shift pay which colleagues at other airports all receive.

Prospect's national officer Alan Denney has already called for First Minister Alex Salmond to step in to resolve the dispute.

Mr Denney said managers at Inverness Airport were handling passenger security on flights to Northern Ireland and Orkney as part of the training.

He added: "My members have spent today and yesterday being forced - and I don't think that is too strong a word - to train and educate managers about their job."

He said training would normally take ten days, followed by an exam and subsequently 40 hours on-the-job training.

But Mr Denney said it was still hoped a negotiated settlement could be reached. He said: "Obviously we regret any inconvenience to visitors to the Scottish Open but after waiting almost 12 months for their 2010 increase, security staff can wait no longer."

Hial managing director Inglis Lyon denied the claims. He said: "Having spoken to the local team at Inverness, no member of staff has been forced to carry out training for those functional managers."

He added: "We continue dialogue with the trade unions and are hopeful of a mutually acceptable solution, however, in the event that strike action does occur, our contingency plans are well advanced and include the comprehensive training of functional managers to carry out security duties with full knowledge of the regulator.

"This is essential to maintain the air services upon which the local communities depend."

Mr Lyon said the majority of security staff were offered a wage increase of 3 per cent, made up of 1 per cent on the basic rate and the introduction of an overtime rate on all hours worked at the weekend. This would be backdated to July last year.

He has previously said any industrial action would have no impact on the Scottish Open as there would be contingency plans in place. In any case, he said, most of those attending the event travel by car from no more than two hours away.Hial, which is wholly owned by the Scottish Government, operates 11 airports at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Islay, Inverness, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick.

In 2009-10, the airports carried almost 1.2 million passengers, including nearly 586,000 going in and out of Inverness.