Around 50 workers employed by Edinburgh Airport Services Ltd (EASL) have won an above-inflation pay agreement through Unite. The two-year settlement improves basic wages and shift payments for workers whose roles include customer services, driving and baggage handling. They’ve used collective bargaining to secure better terms from a business that depends on their labour.
The deal delivers a 5.75 per cent increase in basic pay for 2026, alongside a five per cent increase in shift pay. Workers will also receive a one-off £230 payment, with the agreement backdated to January. In 2027, both basic pay and shift rates will rise by 0.5 percentage points above RPI inflation. A new bonus scheme will provide up to £250.
The provision for next year matters. Inflation can cut wages without the employer ever reducing the number on a payslip: workers put in the same hours while their pay buys less. The RPI-plus agreement commits EASL to an increase above that measure of rising prices.
The increases built into basic and shift rates will also carry forward into subsequent pay packets. The £230 payment and new bonus add to the settlement, while higher regular rates establish a better starting point for future pay negotiations.
Unite industrial officer Carrie Donoghue said: “Our members overwhelmingly backed this deal. It will increase pay and shift rates above the rate of inflation alongside a one-off payment to recognise the hard work our members do for EASL at Edinburgh airport.”
Unfortunately, a worker’s usefulness doesn’t automatically translate into decent wages. Under capitalism, the employer buys their labour power and has an interest in keeping its price down. Workers depend on that wage to live; the employer counts it against the money the business can keep.
EASL began operating in 2019, and Unite signed a recognition agreement with the company in 2023. Organising a union means that workers can formulate common demands and negotiate through their union, instead of each employee being left to face management’s authority separately.
Workers do different jobs, but together they keep the business running. The owners direct their labour and pocket the profits. By organising in a union, workers can force the owners to pay more and improve conditions, by leveraging the threat to shut down or otherwise slow work, which will harm the owners financially.
The agreement settles the terms on which EASL buys its workers’ labour power for two years. The employer retains control of the business and its interest in containing wages survives the deal. Through organising, these workers have secured a lasting improvement in regular pay within that continuing class conflict. When the next round of negotiations comes, the higher rates won now will be the starting point.
Image credit: Airside at Edinburgh Airport by Thomas Nugent released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic licence
