Security airport jobs are at risk

A security firm is planning to axe 40 per cent of its workforce at Glasgow Airport.

ICTS Security took over airport security functions at the Paisley-based hub in December last year.

Unite the union was in dispute with Glasgow Airport over the transfer last year, and has now vowed to fight the axing of 84 jobs.

Pat McIlvogue, Unite regional industrial officer, said: “The proposal by ICTS Security to cut its workforce by 40 per cent at Glasgow Airport is another devastating blow to the nation’s civil aviation industry.

“Last year the workforce was outsourced to ICTS which we were vehemently opposed to.

“However, Unite is working hard to bring forward proposals which will mitigate any compulsory redundancies but the reality is we need government support to achieve this.

“We are faced with around 800 jobs being lost at Glasgow Airport, and thousands more across Scotland, which is why we need targeted support or as we have repeatedly stated Scotland’s civil aviation industry is on the brink of collapse.”

A spokesman for ICTS s a i d : “The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on the aviation industry.

“While we have been working closely with staff, unions and industry stakeholders to retain as many jobs as possible within the sector, without further government support we have no alternative but to consider making redundancies.

“Th i s is a highly unfortunate situation and our focus is to try to protect every job we can.”

Unite has an ongoing campaign to Save Scotland’s Airpor t s f o l l owing a Fraser of Allander report conducted on behalf of Unite, which estimated 2,330 direct and indirect job losses in civil aviation with an overall economic loss of around £ 140m to the Scottish economy after accounting for knock- on effects.

G l a s g ow Ai r p o r t currently has redundancy consultations affecting around 800 workers at Swissport, Menzies, Loganair, OCS, ICTS Security and North Air.