Bournemouth Airport strikes called off

Members of the Unite union had been preparing to strike

Strike action planned by some staff at Bournemouth Airport has been called off.

A number of walkouts were set to begin on Tuesday but the Unite union said they had been suspended after the employer came back with an improved offer.

Unite regional officer Janet Wall said: "Strike action would have caused a lot of disruption to flights, but this has now been called off to allow members to have the opportunity to vote on whether to accept the new deal."

The airport confirmed it was set to be fully operational and passengers could check in as normal.

About 80 Unite members were set to walk out in the dispute around pay, including baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers.

Other planned strike dates included 1, 16, and 17 October.

But the union said "a new offer has been brought to the table with members set to be balloted on it".

Unite previously said the dispute was about the rate of inflation being used to calculate the pay offers.

The union said it would be fairer to use the RPI (Retail Price Index) rate rather than CPI (Consumer Price Index), which is lower.

Bournemouth Airport said: "Unite has today suspended its planned strikes... after receiving a revised offer, which the union is recommending members accept in a new ballot."