A major summer holiday strike could disrupt travel plans at Scotland’s two busiest airports, after ground services staff at Glasgow and Edinburgh overwhelmingly rejected pay offers from their employer, Menzies Aviation. The union Unite has warned that unless a better pay deal is tabled, it will ballot its members for industrial action, potentially causing significant disruption during the peak holiday season.
Around 600 ground crew—including dispatchers, allocators, airside agents, and controllers—provide essential support for major airlines at both airports. According to Unite, 97% of those balloted at Glasgow Airport rejected a 4.25% pay offer, while 100% of those balloted at Edinburgh Airport turned down a 4% offer.
Unite’s industrial officer Carrie Binnie stated:
“Menzies Aviation has the ability to improve its offers and they can easily resolve this pay dispute without any disruption to the travelling public. If the company fail to table a better offer to our members, Unite will have no option but to ballot our members for strikes over the summer holidays.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham added:
“Unite’s Menzies members have emphatically rejected unacceptable pay offers. The Menzies group is posting sky-high profits and our members who contribute towards this success deserve far better from the company.”
Menzies Aviation, which reported a record-breaking financial performance in 2024 with global revenues up 20% to $2.6 billion, said it remains committed to seeking a resolution. Phil Lloyd, Senior Vice President UK at Menzies Aviation, commented:
“Following the rejection of recent pay award proposals, we remain committed to seeking a resolution. We have invited Unite to return to the table to continue discussions this week and hope to reach an agreement which is workable for both the business and our employees at both Edinburgh and Glasgow. We will continue to work to pursue an agreeable solution to protect services for our airline and airport partners and their customers.”
Both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports have stated that the dispute is a matter for Menzies and Unite and declined to comment further.
The threatened strike comes as Edinburgh Airport recorded a record 15 million passengers last year, with Glasgow seeing approximately 800,000 passengers per month during the summer. Unite recently secured a 5.8% pay deal for directly employed Edinburgh Airport staff, highlighting the union’s push for improved pay and conditions across the sector.
If no improved offer is made, a strike ballot could be called imminently, raising the prospect of travel chaos for holidaymakers across Scotland.
