Humberside Airport staff to hold six strike days in pay row

Humberside Airport averaged about 200,000 passengers a year before the pandemic

Staff at Humberside Airport are to hold six days of strikes in the coming weeks in a row over pay, a union has said.

Unison said security and shop staff, cleaners, firefighters and refuellers would strike for 24 hours on Tuesday 17 October and for 48 hours on 31 October.

Further action was also planned in November, with the union claiming its members were being paid less than similar staff at other airports.

The airport said the strike would have "limited impact to passengers".

Unison said staff at Humberside Airport who earned around £21,000 had been offered an 8.4% pay increase, while those earning around £27,000 had been offered a rise of 6.5%, and a 5.1% increase was offered to workers earning around £35,000.

They "were paid significantly lower than their counterparts" at Manchester and Leeds Bradford airports, the union added.

There are daily flights from Humberside Airport to Amsterdam

Unison's regional organiser, Michael Parkinson, said: "Strike action is always a last resort in a pay dispute - and Unison is trying hard to find a solution with the employer to avoid it happening.

"Staff feel undervalued. They want the employer to recognise the loyalty and dedication they've shown, especially during the Covid pandemic.

"The company which owns the airport is profitable and we believe they can comfortably afford a pay rise for staff."

The union was due to meet management this week to "hopefully reach some kind of agreement", Mr Parkinson added.

He said 71% of the union's 25 members who had voted in favour of action were due to walk out, which Humberside Airport previously said represented "around 11%" of the total workforce at the site of 134.

Further strike action by Unison members at Humberside Airport was planned between 14 and 17 November, the union said.

'Fair and reasonable offer'

A spokesperson for the airport said: "We are disappointed to learn a small number of staff plan to take industrial action, but remain confident the airport will continue operations with limited impact to passengers and operators.

"We believe the pay offer is fair and reasonable and made in the best interests of staff and the airport's future, and we hope the union will reconsider this action."

They advised travellers to plan for "check-in and arrive as usual", adding that any flight changes would be communicated by the airline and highlighted on its website.

Humberside Airport is located near the village of Kirmington, in North Lincolnshire, and runs daily flights to Amsterdam as well as a number of seasonal routes to holiday destinations.

An average of around 200,000 passengers used the airport annually before the pandemic.