Security staff to go on strike at Aberdeen Airport

Security staff at Aberdeen Airport have announced 14 days of strike action in a row over pay.

The union said it was left with no option as negotiations with ICTS HBS Security, through the conciliation service Acas, failed to produce a breakthrough.

The strikes, involving baggage screening staff, are set to begin on Monday.

The Unite union is warning of significant delays if the strikes go ahead and is urging the company to return to the negotiating table.

Aberdeen Airport said "robust contingency measures" would be in place and no impact was expected.

ICTS said proposed action involved a "small number" of its staff and it was still in active pay discussions with their union.

The development comes after summer strikes at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports were averted after new deals were struck.

Unite members unanimously supported industrial action at Aberdeen.

Union officials said there would be significant delays as its members in ICTS make up the majority of the baggage screening team at the airport.

The union's general secretary Sharon Graham said: "ICTS is a very profitable company that can easily afford to give our members a decent pay increase. It has been caught red-handed putting profits before people."

Unite has recently resolved two separate pay disputes at Aberdeen Airport involving ICTS central search and Aberdeen Airport Limited workers.

Its industrial officer, Paula Buchan said: "ICTS would rather cause massive disruption at the airport than positively work with Unite to resolve this dispute.

"Strike action will cause significant delays at Aberdeen Airport.

"ICTS still has time to return to talks with an offer workers can accept. A failure to do so will result in significant airport disruption."

A spokesperson for Aberdeen Airport said: "We have engaged with ICTS, and robust contingency measures will be in place, with no impact expected, but we strongly urge everyone involved to continue working towards a constructive resolution."

ICTS said: "We are still in active pay discussions with their trade union in respect of the pay offer we have made to those colleagues and hope that such action will not take place.

"However, we would wish to reassure the public that robust contingency plans are in place to ensure passenger safety and service continuity.

"We are confident that hold baggage operations will remain unaffected for the duration of any proposed industrial action."