Unite has secured vital pay deals for North Air tanker drivers stationed at Scottish airports.
Around 100 tanker drivers and airfield operators are now enjoying a 4.5 per cent increase in their basic minimum wage.
This deal applies to workers providing refuelling services at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Kirkwall, Sumburgh, and Stornoway airports.
In addition to the pay rise, shift allowances will jump by 10 per cent, boosting overall take-home pay.
North Air’s bonus schemes for driver training and training champions will see significant increases, with some bonuses leaping by up to 150 per cent.
The company’s training bonus now rises from £200 to £500, while the training champion bonus moves from £400 to £1,000.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham welcomed the deals as a major step forward for workers’ rights and conditions.
“Unite has delivered good wage deals for North Air tanker drivers across all Scottish airports,” said Graham.
She added that the agreements will enhance jobs, pay, and conditions across the aviation sector.
“The message to all airport workers is clear—if you want better jobs, pay, and conditions, join Unite,” she urged.
As part of these negotiations, Unite has also expanded its recognition agreements with North Air.
Workers at Kirkwall, Sumburgh, and Stornoway airports now join their colleagues in Aberdeen and Inverness under Unite’s formal bargaining framework.
This expansion ensures collective negotiations over pay, terms, and working conditions at more sites.
During the festive season, industrial action at Edinburgh Airport was narrowly averted by a last-minute enhanced pay offer.
The Edinburgh deal included a backdated 4.5 per cent pay rise to August and marked significant improvements in overall remuneration.
Pat McIlvogue, Unite’s lead industrial officer for civil aviation, praised the success of these agreements.
“Our deals mean that North Air workers now enjoy a substantial boost in their pay packets,” said McIlvogue.
He added that this sets the stage for further improvements to wages and conditions in the future.
The agreements represent a victory for North Air workers and a wider push for fairer practices in the aviation industry.
