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Fire strikers blaming government No intervention in fire strikes
(about 13 hours later)
A union representing airport firefighters striking over pay said its members' grievance was with the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government said it would not intervene in a pay dispute between fire and rescue staff and the operator of nine state-owned airports.
Fire crews are due to stage industrial action at nine of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited's (HIAL) 11 sites. It said the row was a matter for union Unite and Highlands and Islands Airports (HIAL).
Unite said HIAL management had told them they needed permission from the government, which owns the company, to offer a pay rise of more than 2%. About 2,000 passengers have had their travel disrupted by 24-hour industrial action by firefighters.
It has been proposed to follow Monday's action with another strike on 4 July. Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick airports have been closed.
Scheduled traffic Ahead of the strikes, Unite had said the issue of awarding its members more than a 2% rise was one for the government to sort out. However, the Scottish Government said it was a matter for HIAL and the union and urged the parties to come to a "swift resolution". That work was ongoing, but at this stage Unite walked away Nat AndersonHIAL spokesman
Donald Munro, Unite regional official, said the firefighters had been encouraged by the level of public support. Inverness Airport is open, but flights to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles are being affected.
He added: "Our issue is with the Scottish Government, not with HIAL." HIAL said it could not offer any more than the 2% offered because that was the limit for public sector pay rises.
Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick airports will be closed to scheduled traffic. Spokesman Nat Anderson said it was disappointing the action was going ahead despite management's attempts to work with the union to resolve the issue.
Strikes will not be taking place at Inverness, or Dundee, which is operated by HIAL through a subsidiary company. He said: "We were working with them earlier this year to achieve greater flexibility on pay rewards.
However, flights from Inverness to Orkney and Shetland and the Western Isles will be affected. "That was by looking at internal efficiency savings we could make and then we would have put a business case forward to Scottish ministers to seek approval for this."
AIRPORTS FACT FILE HIAL operates 11 airports, most in the north and west of ScotlandInverness is the main hubFlights from Inverness to the islands were disrupted, but services to Manchester, London Gatwick and Dublin continued as normal
Mr Anderson added: "That work was ongoing, but at this stage Unite walked away."
Unite said HIAL bosses had told the union it needed permission from the government to offer more money.
Jimmy Farrelly, Unite senior officer, said the union and its members had agreed to look with HIAL at what efficiencies could be made.
But he said: "The only aspect of efficiency which would have rewarded the workers with a 1% increase was on the provision that three of the airports did additional security with the firefighting duties.
"That was clearly a non runner."
Another day of industrial action has been proposed for 4 July.
Strikes were not taking place at Inverness or Dundee, which is operated by HIAL through a subsidiary company.