Hopes for airport dispute breakthrough soon
BOTH sides in the HIAL airport dispute are hoping to see a breakthrough in talks next week that could lead to some kind of settlement.
On Thursday 120 security staff working at 11 HIAL airports, including Sumburgh, started a protracted work to rule after completing a two day strike over pay and conditions.
HIAL managing director Inglis Lyon has called on the union to return to the negotiating table, but the union has said they will only restart talks when the state-owned company comes up with an offer.
Late on Friday, Lyon said he would be considering the dispute over the weekend and “see where we go from there”.
He said: “We are respectful of each other’s positions and we are still hopeful of getting around the table next week.
“Both parties understand the requirements of their opposite number and when you get to that point it’s usually not too much trouble to get round the table and see where we go from there.”
In turn Prospect union national secretary Alan Denney said that as soon as HIAL presented the union with an offer in writing “we will be back around the table to negotiate on that”.
Responding to HIAL’s calls on Thursday to spell out their demands, Denney said there had already been 10 meetings with management and there was “no point in any further shilly-shallying”.
He added that the union had presented their claim on 21 October and it was now up to HIAL to make an offer.
“Negotiation is the art of compromise and somewhere between our claim and management’s offer we can look for some middle ground,” he said.
Since the 48 hour stoppage ended, Denney said he had to contact the union’s legal officer after some of his members were refused applications for annual leave later this year because of the dispute.
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Lyon responded, saying there was “clearly quite a febrile atmosphere” amongst some of the staff, but insisted annual leave had not been “cancelled”.
Prospect is looking for security staff to be given parity with their colleagues on pay and conditions.
HIAL is pleased that 10 of its 11 airports were able to operate their normal schedules during the two day strike, with only Dundee affected.
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