A strike planned for Aberdeen International Airport (AIA) early next week has been called off.
The move follows talks between airport bosses and the Unite trade union yesterday. An overwhelming majority of staff members involved in a pay dispute with AIA voted in favour of strike action last month.
But yesterday Unite industrial officer John Boland said AIA has tabled a new annual pay offer and the union would be advising its members to accept.
Earlier reports said 32 employees, including security officers, electricians and firefighters, could stage a 24-hour walkout from 4am on Monday, potentially plunging the airport into chaos during its busy summer season.
Three more 24-hour slots had also been earmarked for no-shows over the coming weeks, while staff had been encouraged to stage short, sharp bursts of strike action, withholding their labour for the first two hours of their shifts.
The threat is now unlikely to materialise in the wake of the latest round of talks between Unite and AIA managing director Carol Benzie.
Last night Mr Boland said: “As a result of the negotiations, we’ve agreed to suspend the action that was due to start on Monday to allow us to ballot our members on an improved pay offer. It is obviously up to the members (to accept or reject the offer), but there will be a recommendation from the stewards that they accept it.”
The ballot should go ahead within the next two to three weeks, he added.
An AIA spokeswoman said: “As a result of the discussions, we have made positive progress and an offer has been made, which Unite is recommending to its members to accept.”
Disruption to June and July services would be especially painful for the airport. More than 343,000 passengers used the terminal last June, well above last year’s monthly average of 313,000, and July was even busier, with 366,500 people jetting to and from the airport.