Increases worth up to 11.6 per cent for airport workers

Unite the union can confirm today (Friday 1 August) that summer strike action has been averted after workers backed an increased pay offer made by Glasgow airport’s new owners. 

Around 100 workers employed by Glasgow Airport Limited were involved an escalating pay dispute after wage offers were rejected by the workers and several rounds of strike action were called-off due to last minute progress in pay negotiations.

Glasgow Airport Limited workers will now benefit from a two-year pay deal effective from January this year. In 2025, the pay deal includes a basic four per cent rise alongside a one-off £500 payment.

The cash payment is worth an additional 4 per cent for the lowest paid members with airside support unit operatives gaining an additional uplift increasing their pay award by up to 11.6 per cent. In 2026, the pay award will be equal to the December inflation rate and run for one year. 

The pay deal successfully negotiated by Unite represents substantial progress from an original 2.7 per cent offer which marginally increased to four per cent when 98.7 per cent of Unite members at Glasgow Airport Limited emphatically backed industrial action.

The workers benefiting from the pay deal include airport ambassadors, airside support officers, engineers and managers. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite has successfully delivered better jobs, pay and conditions for Glasgow airport workers. Our union has, through the brave stance of workers willing to take strike action if necessary, secured good pay deals across the aviation industry for hundreds upon hundreds of workers. The message to all airport workers is clear - join Unite.” 

Unite has clocked up a string of recent successes as part of its ‘Runway To Success’ campaign which is designed to establish standards above the legal minimums across Scottish airports.

It includes recent wage wins for 100 North Air workers across Scottish airports, 400 workers across companies based at Aberdeen airport, 300 Menzies Aviation workers based at Edinburgh airport and a further around 1000 based at Glasgow Airport covering ICTS, Menzies Aviation, Falck firefighters, ABM and OCS. 

Pat McIlvogue, Unite industrial officer added: “The pay deal overwhelmingly backed by our members working for Glasgow airport’s new owners represents huge progress from where pay negotiations began. It will put more money directly into pockets. It’s an inflation proof deal over two years which means our members are getting more take-home pay. Overall Glasgow airport is a major success story for Unite in terms of delivering and winning for workers.”  

ENDS

Notes to Editor 

Glasgow Airport Limited made £40.65m in its latest recorded accounts. AviAlliance, a subsidiary of PSP Investments, acquired AGS Airports (which includes Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Southampton airports) in a £1.53 billion deal in January 2025.

For media enquiries please contact Andrew Brady on 07810157922.Email andrew.brady@unitetheunion.org 

Unite Scotland is the country’s biggest and most diverse trade union with around 150,000 members. The union is led in Scotland by Derek Thomson.