Menzies Aviation staff at Edinburgh Airport reject pay offer as summer strike threat grows

Around 300 Menzies Aviation ground crew at Edinburgh Airport (EDI) have overwhelmingly rejected a pay offer, raising the threat of strike action over the busy summer travel season. The workers, including dispatchers, airside agents, allocators, and controllers, voted 100% against a proposed 4% pay increase. Unite the union says the dispute could escalate unless a significantly improved deal is made.

Details on Edinburgh Airport strike 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s Menzies members have emphatically rejected unacceptable pay offers. The Menzies group is posting sky-high profits and our members who contribute towards this success deserve far better from the company.”

The action at Edinburgh Airport is part of a wider standoff involving approximately 600 Menzies Aviation staff across both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. In Glasgow, a similar group of around 300 workers also rejected a 4.25% pay increase, according to the union.

Menzies Aviation, which provides ground handling and passenger services for airlines including American, United, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Emirates, Lufthansa, Loganair and Air Transat, recently reported record earnings. In March, the company announced global revenues of $2.6 billion for 2024, a 20% year-on-year increase, with earnings before tax of $382 million.

Unite industrial officer Carrie Binnie warned: “Summer strike action looms over Edinburgh and Glasgow airports because the pay offers on the table from Menzies Aviation aren’t good enough. Menzies Aviation has the ability to improve its offers and they can easily resolve this pay dispute without any disruption to the travelling public.”

The threat of strikes follows recent pay wins for over 100 North Air workers across Scottish airports, and more than 140 Glasgow Airport workers employed by ABM and OCS, underlining Unite’s growing push for improved pay across the aviation sector.

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