Unequal treatment to end at airport security

Workers in Scottish airport group HIAL’s security company AMSL have voted to accept a management offer to harmonise their terms and conditions over the next 20 months following a six-year battle for equality.

Members of the Prospect union voted overwhelmingly in favour of the offer. Scottish government-owned HIAL tabled the offer after a period of work to rule following a 48-hour strike in the wake of the Easter weekend.

In the six years since HIAL brought security in house, management had failed to agree equal terms for basic pay, shift pay, sick pay, overtime, weekend premium payments and holidays for AMSL’s airport security workers.

One of the starkest examples of inequality was sick pay, where AMSL members received just five half days a year, in contrast to six months’ full pay — in simple terms — for the staff who manage them and other colleagues in the wider group.

Prospect represents more than 120 of AMSL’s 160 workers covering 11 Scottish airports including Dundee, Inverness, Stornoway and Sumburgh.

www.prospect.org.uk/news/id/2015/May/5/Scottish-airport-workers-accept-offer-settle-dispute-over-unequal-treatment