Wage and recognition deals fuels Runway to Success campaign
Unite has secured pay deals for North Air tanker drivers based across Scottish airports, the nation’s leading aviation union confirmed today (7 January). 
Around 100 tanker drivers and airfield operators who provide refuelling services for airlines who fly into and out of Aberdeen, Edinburgh Glasgow, Inverness, Kirkwall (Orkney), Sumburgh (Shetland) and Stornoway are all benefiting from a basic minimum wage increase of 4.5 per cent.
A 10 per cent increase to the shift allowance will also be applied along with a boost to the company’s driver training and training champion bonus schemes. This could see an increase by up to 150 per cent from £200 to £500 and from £400 to £1,000 in the company bonus schemes.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite has delivered good wage deals for North Air tanker drivers across all Scottish airports. The pay and recognition deals will help to drive up the jobs, pay and conditions not just at North Air but also across the aviation industry.
 
“The message to all airport workers is clear, if you want better jobs, pay and conditions - join Unite.” 
As part of the successful pay negotiations, Unite has further secured an extension of its existing recognition agreements with North Air at Aberdeen and Inverness airports to now include workers based at Kirkwall, Sumburgh and Stornoway.
The union recognition agreements will ensure that North Air tanker drivers based across the Northeast of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands airports will now benefit from Unite formally bargaining with the company over pay, terms and conditions.
Industrial action at Edinburgh Airport across the festive season by North Air tanker drivers was narrowly averted following a last minute enhanced pay offer which was overwhelmingly backed by the membership. The Edinburgh deal also involved a 4.5 per cent basic increase backdated to August and included several significant improvements to the overall pay package. 
Pat McIlvogue, Unite’s lead industrial officer for civil aviation, said: “Unite’s negotiated pay and recognition agreements with North Air means that tanker drivers and airfield operators are now receiving a significant boost to their pay packets. We now have a clear route to achieving even better wages and conditions for North Air workers going forward.”
 
ENDS
Notes to Editor 
Unite has clocked up a string of recent successes as part of its ‘Runway To Success’ campaign which is designed to establish standards beyond the legal minimums across Scottish airports.
For media enquiries please contact Andrew Brady on 07810157922.
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.