Union to ballot Loganair cabin crew over pay dispute

Unite the Union accusing airline of 'arrogance' over pay offer

Cabin crew working for one of the airlines that flies in and out of the Island are considering strike action in a dispute over pay.

Unite the Union has announced its members who work for Loganair will be asked if they want to take industrial action from tomorrow, with the ballot closing on 27 October.

The union has criticised the 'arrogance' of Loganair's management, claiming it tabled a final pay offer before negotiations had taken place and attempted to force through the offer.

Unite Industrial Officer Carrie Donoghue said: “Unite found itself in the unacceptable position of Loganair tabling a final offer before any negotiations had taken place."

"Loganair appears to have no genuine intention of avoiding an escalation in the dispute. Any future strike action involving Loganair cabin crew will be a direct result of the company putting profits before people.”

She explained more in a recorded voice note supplied to Manx Radio:

Unite says its members are facing workload pressures and job insecurity.

In response, Loganair said in a statement: "We are aware that Unite is consulting its members on possible industrial action over pay. Having engaged constructively with Unite over recent months, we are disappointed by this move. In late September, we made an improved offer giving certainty over a two-year period, and we learned of its rejection through the media rather than from Unite directly.

"Like every airline, we are operating in a very challenging economic climate, with fuel costs up significantly and consumer demand softening. We value our cabin crew greatly, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement through the recognised collective bargaining process, with hopes that Unite return to the table."

"We do not expect this situation to affect our services, and our priority remains the smooth running of our flights for customers."

Isle of Man Government declined to comment.