Hial air traffic controllers balloted on pay offer

Inverness Airport was one of six airports closed by strike action in May

Air traffic controllers at Scottish regional airports have suspended all industrial action while they consider a revised pay offer from their employer.

The Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (Hial) employees have been working-to-rule since April.

A 24-hour strike in May disrupted operations at Benbecula, Dundee, Inverness, Kirkwall, Stornoway and Sumburgh.

Their union Prospect is balloting the controllers on the pay offer.

Details of the offer have not been revealed, although the union had asked for a pay increase of at least 10%.

Hial is owned by the Scottish government and Prospect had argued that controllers employed in the public sector were paid considerably more.

'Sufficiently different'

The ballot opened on Wednesday and closes on 28 June.

Prospect said if the pay offer was rejected then action short of a strike would resume at 00:01 on 29 June.

Negotiations officer David Avery said: "The offer we have received from Hial is sufficiently different to the original offer that we want to give members the chance to properly consider it and vote on whether to accept it.

"Prospect is not making a recommendation on whether to accept or reject the offer and so as to remain neutral we will not be making any further statement at this time."