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The country’s second-largest union says it has negotiated a “whopping” 17% pay deal, just days after the governor of the Bank of England urged wage restraint amid the battle against inflation.
Unite said 2,000 workers at Manchester Airport, including firefighters, security, engineering, airfield operations, traffic marshals and car parking staff, would benefit from a series of awards that were negotiated without the need for a strike ballot.
It said that the pay deal was worth a rise of 17% over two years and included an additional lump sum worth up to 9.6% covering the same period.
The union added that the talks also secured defined benefit pension protections for the workers and more pay and pension contributions for additional workers on the National Minimum Wage.
It said that the workers involved had “overwhelmingly backed” the deal.
Manchester Airports Group, the airport’s parent firm, was yet to comment.
The settlement, on the face of it, reflects a desperation among employers to retain and attract staff in the UK’s tight labour market.
Staffing shortages since the COVID pandemic have hit many sectors Europe-wide.
In the case of airports, flight limits were imposed last year at Heathrow due to staff shortages while Manchester was affected by related delays and cancellations.
While the pay deal revealed by Unite will better shield the beneficiaries from the effects of the evolving cost of living crisis, the size of the settlement will not be welcomed by the Bank of England.
It has long urged restraint among employers, arguing last week that high pay settlements are being reflected in the
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