Unite the Union has secured an above-inflation pay rise for ICTS hold baggage screeners at Glasgow Airport, marking the latest win in its campaign to improve pay and conditions across Scotland’s aviation sector.
Around 50 workers employed by ICTS UK will receive a 7 per cent increase in basic pay, backdated to October. Overtime rates have also been improved to time and a half under the new agreement.
The deal follows a 9.8 per cent pay rise secured last year for the same group, also backdated to October 2024, reflecting a sustained period of wage growth for the workforce.
ICTS security agents at Glasgow Airport are responsible for x-ray screening of hold baggage, document checks and maintaining the baggage system, forming a critical part of airport safety and operations.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the agreement demonstrated the union’s continued focus on delivering tangible gains for members. “Unite has delivered another excellent wage deal for ICTS workers at Glasgow Airport,” she said. “Years of hard work by members have gone into restoring and improving jobs, pay and conditions.”
The pay rise forms part of Unite’s wider ‘Runway to Success’ campaign, launched in May 2024 in response to the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation industry. The initiative aims to raise standards beyond statutory minimums and reverse pandemic-era cuts to sick pay, holidays and shift premiums across Scottish airports.
Pat McIlvogue, Unite industrial officer, said the union had significantly increased hourly pay and allowances for ICTS workers in recent years, helping to rebuild terms and conditions eroded during the downturn.
The agreement comes as unions across the UK aviation sector continue to press for pay settlements that keep pace with inflation and reflect the recovery in passenger numbers following the pandemic slump.