Unite is warning management at Birmingham Airport that they are
forcing a dispute with workers over a paltry pay offer after a three year pay freeze.
The union is now in the
process of making preparations for an industrial action ballot.
The company's final offer is
a 2.5 per cent increase and a one-off non-consolidated payment of £150.
But the retail price
index has leapt 13 per cent since February 2009, workers' pay has been frozen
since then.
Workers have also endured fundamental changes
to their terms and conditions, changes to the pension scheme, and the owners of
the airport are now
proposing changes to shift patterns. For the period 2010/2011 Birmingham Airport made a profit after
tax of £5.2 million.
The airport is increasing
passengers and opening up
new routes. It is even extending
the runway to allow long haul flights to the east coast of the USA and Pacific
basin regions such as Singapore and Australia. But workers' pay has been frozen
and their terms and conditions have been
slashed.
Unite has held two consultative ballots with its members and the company's
offer has been rejected on both occasions. In the most recent ballot 76.5
per cent of members returning ballot papers
rejected the company offer.
Unite regional officer, Peter
Coulson said:
"Birmingham
airport is taking off but management have
grounded their workers' pay. Staff have endured years of pay freezes and to
make matters worse their pensions and conditions have been slashed. Unite
has even proposed third party intervention from Acas to assist in reaching an
agreement in the negotiations but even this has
been decisively refused by the airport. Our members' patience is running
out.
"The airport are
forcing a dispute and we have no option but to prepare for an industrial action
ballot. There is still time for the owners of Birmingham airport to get serious
and listen to our members reasonable demands."
At the last set of negotiations
on 30 August, Unite offered
to allow ACAS to assist
in conciliation in an attempt to break the deadlock, this was totally and
decisively rejected by the company.
Unite represents security
staff, baggage handlers, air side safety ,
technicians, information desk staff, engineers, administrative staff.
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