UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / October 10, 2020 / Unite the union has reacted to the proposal by ICTS Security at Glasgow Airport to cut its workforce by 84 jobs, which is around 40 percent of the workforce, by pledging to do ‘everything possible’ to stave off compulsory redundancies.

Last year Unite was in dispute with Glasgow Airport in response to the proposal to transfer 250 workers to ICTS (UK) who operate airport security functions and Falck who perform fire safety functions under amended TUPE regulations. The workforce transferred to ICTS Security on December 17 2019.

Unite has an ongoing campaign to "Save Scotland’s Airports" following a Fraser of Allander report conducted on behalf of Unite, which estimated 2,330 direct and indirect job losses in civil aviation with an overall economic loss of around £140m to the Scottish economy after accounting for knock-on effects. Glasgow Airport currently has redundancy consultations affecting around 800 workers at Swissport, Menzies, Loganair, OCS, ICTS Security and North Air.

Pat McIlvogue, Unite regional industrial officer, said: “The proposal by ICTS Security to cut its workforce by forty per cent at Glasgow Airport is another devastating blow to the nation’s civil aviation industry. Last year the workforce was outsourced to ICTS which we were vehemently opposed to. However, Unite is working hard to bring forward proposals which will mitigate any compulsory redundancies but the reality is we need government support to achieve this. We are faced with around 800 jobs being lost at Glasgow Airport, and thousands more across Scotland, which is why we need targeted support or as we have repeatedly stated Scotland’s civil aviation industry is on the brink of collapse.”

Notes:

Unite’s ‘Save Scotland’s Airports’ campaign demands are: 

1. Sector specific support for Civil Air Transport in Scotland including the extension of the UK Government Job Retention Scheme;
2. Any government support, investment and taxation relief bounded by conditionality around protecting jobs and maintaining current terms and conditions of employment in line with the Fair Work principles 
3. An extension for any redundancy consultation processes undertaken thus far while sector support measures are brought forward.
4. Removal of any Fire and Rehire proposals of employers operating in Scottish Airports.