Humberside Airport workers' strike suspended for talks, union says

Unison officials are due to meet Humberside Airport managers on 9 November to discuss pay, the union says

A 48-hour strike by workers at Humberside Airport has been suspended after bosses agreed to a meeting to discuss pay, a union has said.

Firefighters, cleaners, security staff and travel shop workers who are members of Unison were among those due to walk out from 04:30 BST on Tuesday.

Unison said its officials were now due to meet airport bosses, via arbitration service Acas, on 9 November.

An airport spokesperson said they were "pleased" the action was suspended.

'Positive step'

In August, members of Unison at the site, near the village of Kirmington in North Lincolnshire, rejected a pay offer.

The union said workers there were paid "significantly lower" than their counterparts at Manchester and Leeds Bradford airports.

Michael Parkinson, Unison's Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser, said he hoped the new talks would be "a positive step towards resolving this dispute if all sides come with an open mind".

"Nobody wants to take strike action, but Humberside Airport staff should be paid properly and fairly," he added.

In a statement following Unison's announcement, a Humberside Airport spokesperson said: "We are pleased the next period of industrial action has been suspended and that further talks have been agreed, with the support of Acas, with a view to resolving this dispute."

In the event of an agreement not being reached, plans for a 72-hour strike at the airport on 14 November remained in place, Unison said.

As part of the ongoing dispute, Unison members took part in 24-hour strike action on 17 October.