A STRIKE involving security staff at Highlands and Islands airports is to go ahead during Easter holidays after late talks to avert the industrial action broke down.

Dundee Airport is to be shut and travellers are being urged to pack lightly for their flights to and from places such as Barra, Campbeltown and Inverness.

The other airports affected by the strike include Benbecula, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick John O'Groats.

The strike will begin at midday on Tuesday and is due to last for the following two days.

Prospect union, which represents 125 of the 160 Airport Management Services Ltd (AMSL) security staff employed at the airports, said the dispute stemmed from issues around pay, holidays and sick pay.

Alan Denney, the Scottish organiser of the Prospect Union, said the staff play a "vital" role in ensuring passenger safety were "very poorly treated".

However Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) have responded by saying they had been "entirely reasonable throughout the process".

Talks continued yesterday in an attempt to avoid industrial action but were unsuccessful, though Prospect said that the date of the strike was chosen so it would not affect as many passengers over the Easter weekend.

Mr Denney said the industrial action was of "the company's own making" after officials failed to respond in writing to their requests.

He said: "We said we need something in writing to put to our members because they are on unequal terms for work of equal value (compared to other government-owned businesses).

"We are now five years into this claim and have had nothing in writing from the airport management.

"Promises count for nothing. We need something more substantial to put to the members."

My Denney also said that a delay, as requested by the airport management, would have affected their ability to strike at a later date. Under the rules for industrial action, they have 28 days to hold an action after a successful ballot.

He added: "We have to give seven days notice so my strike ballot has only 14 more days life in it. I don't have the opportunity to delay.

"Our members play a vital role to ensuring passengers are not going aboard planes with knives or pistols in their baggage.

"It surprised me they only get paid just above the minimum wage and only have two and a half days sick pay a year. They are certainly people who are very poorly treated."

Prospect said 87 per cent of members voted for strike action in a ballot with a turnout of 85 per cent.

Once this first 48 hours of strike action has concluded members will begin a work to contract, including an overtime ban and a ban on rest day working."

HIAL previously said AMSL staff have enjoyed a 30 per cent increase in basic pay over five years and a ''generous'' pension scheme has been introduced.

A statement from HIAL said that following detailed discussions with Prospect, the company had believed there had been "some progress with the union, with both sides showing willingness to compromise".

However, the firm said it needed time to consider the issues along with Transport Scotland and had requested that the union postpone any industrial action "as a sign of goodwill" until it was in a position to reply.

"Unfortunately, the union has insisted on an immediate response to their requests and we are simply not able to provide this," the statement said.

"As a result, the union has confirmed that it will proceed as planned with its strike threat. We regret that, having come this far and made reasonable progress in our discussions, the union has presented an entirely arbitrary and unreasonable deadline, to which we simply cannot accede.

"We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience caused during the industrial action. We have been entirely reasonable throughout this process."

It advised passengers to limit the amount of hand or check in luggage they take to the airport, and check the status of their flight with their airline before leaving for the airport.