Teesside Airport: GMB union staff balloted for strike action

Teesside Airport said it had been talking to the union

Airport workers are to vote on whether to strike in a row over pay.

Members of the GMB union at Teesside Airport - including firefighters - have turned down an offer they say amounts to a real-terms pay cut during the current cost-of-living crisis.

The ballot closes on 28 September with any industrial action likely to take place in October, the union said.

Teesside International Airport said contingency plans were in place "to prevent disruption for our passengers".

Tom Cruise flew into the airport earlier this month

GMB official Etain Stobbart said: "Sadly, Teesside Airport bosses have not engaged with us since GMB members rejected the offer.

"They've not had a pay rise for years and are struggling to pay their bills in the midst of a crushing cost-of-living crisis."

The ballot comes amid a wave of strike action across the UK and further afield.

• French air traffic control strike affects passengers

• Strike action cancelled after the Queen's death

• Royal Mail staff announce fresh strikes over pay

A Teesside International Airport spokesperson said it had "engaged positively over many months with trade union representatives".

"One union has accepted this pay offer, while GMB union has sadly rejected it and is now balloting members," it said.

"Contingency plans are in place, including emergency cover for key operations, to prevent disruption for our passengers."