The affect of the one-day strike action will be to close the airport. The work-to-rule will affect late running aircraft unable to reach the airport by 10.00pm, due to the non-availability of fire-fighting crews and air traffic staff. The airport closes at 10.00pm.

Members voted unanimously in favour of taking industrial action over a 2011 pay offer and harmonisation with colleagues at other Scottish airports. Prospect members at Dundee airport include fire-fighters, air traffic control and aircraft fuelling staff.

National secretary Alan Denney said: “Prospect members are always reluctant to take industrial action, but feel they have no option but to do so in the pursuit of their objective – fairness. I hope HIAL return to the negotiations in the hope that, even at this late hour, a resolution to the dispute can be agreed.”

Denney also countered comments by HIAL managing director, Inglis Lyon that Dundee faced serious challenges – including a decline in passenger traffic.

He said Dundee airport with 60,098 passengers in 2011 had significantly more passengers than Benbecula (with 34,240), Islay (25,784), Wick (23,162), Barra (10,482), Campbeltown (9,201) and Tiree (8,310).

“The facts don’t support that claim. Dundee also has the highest number of aircraft movements (39,786) in the HIAL group, an increase of 12.5 per cent on 2010-11. Business jet movements have quadrupled from 63 per year in 2001 to 278 per year in 2011.

“All of this has been achieved with fewer staff than at most other HIAL airports,” said Denney.

Prospect and HIAL are meeting the conciliation service, ACAS on Tuesday (April 24) at Inverness airport for talks on how to end the dispute.