Loganair cabin crew could walk out in pay row
Airline accused of ‘putting profits before people’
LOGANAIR cabin crew are being balloted on potential strike action after rejecting a “final” wage offer from the airline.
The union Unite accused Loganair of “putting profits before people” and said it appeared to have “no genuine intention of avoiding an escalation in the dispute”.
Over 60 Loganair cabin crew involved in the ballot are based out of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Isle of Man and Southampton airports.
Any industrial action could therefore have a knock-on effect on flights to and from Sumburgh Airport.
Unite criticised Loganair management for failing to negotiate with the union and said it had tabled a “final” pay offer before any negotiations had taken place.
“The attempt to force the offer on cabin crew was immediately rejected as unacceptable,” Unite said.
The union’s general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Not only is Loganair financially healthy, but its cabin crew are being asked to do more and more at a time when job insecurity has risen for workers.
“Our members will have their union’s full support throughout this dispute.”
Unite said that workload pressures on cabin crew were continuing to increase alongside job insecurity after Loganair’s decision in August to stop its public service obligation routes in and out of Dundee airport.
Unite industrial officer Carrie Donoghue said the union found itself in the “unacceptable position” of Loganair tabling a final offer before any negotiations had taken place.
“Loganair appears to have no genuine intention of avoiding an escalation in the dispute.
“Any future strike action involving Loganair cabin crew will be a direct result of the company putting profits before people.”
Loganair said it was disappointed by the move by Unite this week.
“In late September, we made an improved offer giving certainty over a two-year period, and we learned of its rejection through the media rather than from Unite directly,” the company said.
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“Like every airline, we are operating in a very challenging economic climate, with fuel costs up significantly and consumer demand softening.
“We value our cabin crew greatly, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement through the recognised collective bargaining process, with hopes that Unite return to the table.
“We do not expect this situation to affect our services, and our priority remains the smooth running of our flights for customers.”
The ballot will open on Thursday 8 October and will close on Tuesday 27 October.
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