Highland air traffic pay talks break down
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Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (Hial) and the Prospect union have had a series of meetings with conciliation service Acas in a long-running dispute about pay.
Early last month it was announced that a planned one-day strike on April 26 had been suspended to allow for further talks though a work to rule would continue.
This afternoon, however, Prospect said no progress had been made and it would now look to meet with air traffic controllers representatives to agree further industrial action.
Negotiations officer David Avery said: "Our members agreed to cancel strike action earlier in the year to allow the company to develop new proposals.
"It is disappointing that after three meetings no new proposals have been tabled and no new money has been made available.
"Prospect members have been extremely patient with Hial. That patience is now exhausted.
"We will now move to further industrial action including strike.
"We urge Scottish Ministers to intervene and come forward with additional funding to resolve this dispute."
Hial managing director Inglis Lyon said: "We met with Prospect and ACAS today, for the third time, in an effort to find a mutually acceptable solution to the pay dispute with air traffic controllers.
"Hial is bound by the existing government pay policy and simply cannot implement a pay award that greatly exceeds it.
"We are disappointed that proposals put forward by Hial were not accepted by Prospect, and that talks today failed to deliver a resolution.
"HIAL is committed to resolving this dispute and we would urge the union to work with us to deliver a reasonable and appropriate remuneration package."
Seven of Hial's 11 airports are affected by the industrial action including Inverness as well as Benbecula, Dundee, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh and Wick John O' Groats.
