Strike by employees of Glasgow International Airport

PASSENGERS travelling to and from Glasgow Airport have faced "two-hour queues" at security due to a staff walk out amid strike action.

Others complained it was "chaos" due to the 12-hour walk out.

Security staff as well as fire and operations staff have gone on strike due to a breakdown in talks over pay and pensions, according to union Unite.

Approximately 400 people are on strike at Glasgow Airport with another 300 on strike at Aberdeen Airport, according to the BBC.

The strike started at 4am and is due to end at 4pm, with a second strike planned on June 10.

Travellers at the airport were faced with long queues and confusion, taking to Twitter to complain.

One person wrote: "So it's currently 6:30am and there's 2 hours security wait at Glasgow airport Yipee."

Another remarked: "Feeling not one ounce of sympathy for the security staff strike at #glasgowAirport this morning. 2 security clearance desks open and it was utter chaos."

Fuad Alakbarov tweeted: "Horrible to arrive in the Glasgow airport and meet queues like this"

Hugo Jeffreys posted a picture, commenting: "@GLA_Airport absolute mayhem with security strikes. Security line going downstairs and out the door."

Heather Woods wrote: "@GLA_Airport Striking security staff results in queues around ground floor. Everyone asking questions about how early flights will be made."

Fiona Jamison said: "Not even sure where the queue is going @GLA_Airport⁩ used this airport many times NEVER seen anything like this" Glasgow Airport advised passengers on Twitter that they were experiencing long queues due to the strike.

They explained: "We apologise to our customers for the delay at security this morning.

"Following the commencement of industrial action and transition to our contingency in security, we have experienced longer than normal queues. We thank you for your patience and understanding."

An AGS Airports spokesperson, who own both Aberdeen and Glasgow Airport, said in a statement: "We are extremely disappointed that Unite has served notice for a further date of industrial action, but would like to take this opportunity to reassure our passengers that robust contingency plans will be in place to ensure Aberdeen International Airport is fully operational on Friday 7th and Monday 10th of June.

"We have been in talks since January and, despite attending Acas, there continues to be no willingness whatsoever on the part of Unite to engage in any constructive dialogue.

"We made a significant improvement on our initial pay offer which was increased from 1.8 per cent to 3 per cent in line with demands. This was rejected by Unite without any further consultation with members and the union continues to deny them the right to make a decision on the offer of 3 per cent.

"In regards to our final salary pension scheme, it is simply unaffordable with the cost to the company due to rise to 24.7 per cent per employee. We tabled a generous compensation package for the remaining members, which again was rejected by Unite without first consulting its members.

"As always, we remain open to continuing dialogue with Unite to resolve this dispute."

A Glasgow Airport spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: "We encountered longer than normal security times for a short period during our peak departure time and would apologise to our passengers for any inconvenience caused.

"It is important to highlight that the airport is fully operational and our contingencies are in place.

"We are working hard to ensure we keep any disruption to an absolute minimum during this period of industrial action."

Steve Szalay, Managing Director at Aberdeen International Airport also  said: "This is not a situation that we want to be in but it’s been business as usual here.

"We’ll have 10,000 people traveling today and they’ve been coming in and out without disruption. These range from folk who’ve saved all year to go on holiday to people who have been working offshore and are getting home to see their families."

Pat McIlvogue, Unite regional industrial officer, said: "The industrial action has severely disrupted Glasgow Airport’s operations, despite the underhand tactics by management which included substituting fire safety officers with other staff on site who were questionably trained for the job.

"It’s a shame that passengers’ travel has been disrupted but this is 100 per cent the fault of Glasgow Airport management.

"For the avoidance of doubt, Unite has repeatedly requested meetings with management and can categorically prove that we wanted to meet any time this week to try and find a resolution to this dispute.

"But, our overtures have been completely ignored which is why we have added further dates for industrial action. If we continue to be ignored then we will have no option but to escalate this dispute."

Luton Airport staff also went on strike yesterday, with the walk out planned for 49 days.

It is the third time they have been on strike this year.

The SUN

By Kara Godfrey

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