Around 80 workers at Bournemouth Airport have accepted an improved two-year pay deal from their employer, ending ongoing strike action.
The employees, who are members of Unite, work in different areas of the airport, such as baggage handling, check-in, flight dispatching and plane fuelling.
They were due to walk out in a dispute about their pay this month, as they said they were struggling to afford essentials following years of low pay.
In the first year of the pay deal, the employees will receive a 4.5% pay rise, plus a £1 per hour enhancement for front of house staff, such as security and check in, for hours worked between 03:00 and 06:00. This will be backdated to 1 April.
In the second year, they will receive a pay rise of inflation plus 0.5%, or 3.1%, based on whichever is the greater as per the inflation rate in January 2026. This will be paid on 1 April 2026.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “This is a great win, which only came about as Unite members stuck together in their fight for better pay. It always pays to be a member of Unite.”
Janet Wall, regional officer at Unite, added: “We are very pleased with this win, which has averted highly disruptive strike action. Workers at Bournemouth now are on the way to having the fair pay they deserve for their hard work. Any worker looking for improvements to their pay should join Unite.”
Bournemouth Airport was contacted for comment prior to publication. A spokesperson previously stated: “Unite has suspended its planned strikes after receiving a revised offer. As a result, the strike action scheduled for Tuesday 30 September and Wednesday 1 October will no longer go ahead. Further strikes proposed for 16 and 17 October are also suspended. The airport will be fully operational on all these dates and passengers should check in as normal.”
