Gatwick pay offer

Workers at Gatwick airport are to be balloted on an improved pay offer following eleventh hour negotiations.

Members of Unite employed as security guards, engineers, firefighters and admin staff are being recommended to accept a revised offer of 6.5 per cent in a proposed two-year pay deal. The offer is for a four per cent increase backdated to October 2017 and then 2.5 per cent from October 2018. The increase is on basic pay and allowances.

Ballot papers for strike action were due to be sent out today (April 3) after talks hosted by the conciliation service Acas, collapsed without agreement last week. However Gatwick Airport Ltd (GAL) management, resurrected negotiations March 29) and made the improved pay offer.

GAL had initially offered just 2.2 per cent which was on the proviso that workers would lose their shift allowances when they were sick.

Unite members will now be balloted whether or not to accept the pay increase, with branch reps recommending that this is the best achievable outcome through negotiations.

“The improved pay offer has been achieved as Unite members have shown total solidarity and demonstrated they would not be divided,” said Unite regional officer Jamie Major. “Unite’s reps at GAL are a credit to the entire union.

“It is now up to members to decide whether they wish to endorse this pay offer.”