Air traffic controllers call off strike action

AIR traffic controllers in Dublin last night called off their unofficial industrial action, after staff unrest caused delays to 32 flights on Friday.

Controllers agreed to lift their overtime ban on covering short-notice illnesses and absences following a meeting of their union IMPACT.

Last night IMPACT spokesman Niall Shanahan said: “Dublin air traffic controllers represented by IMPACT have agreed to stand down unofficial action and make themselves available to cover roster shortfalls, on a voluntary basis, immediately.”

Workers claim the air traffic control department is short-staffed but their employers, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), deny this.

The workers agreed to suspend their unofficial action until Friday to pave the way for further talks following a meeting last week at the Labour Relations Commission.

The union and the authority are to meet on Wednesday for talks scheduled to last until February 8 to sort out the staff grievances.

Last night the IAA said: “The authority welcomes this development but is disappointed at the limitation to the suspension, particularly given that both sides are committed to continuing discussions under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission.

“In light of this action no delays due to staffing are envisaged before February 1. The authority regrets the inconvenience caused to the public to date.”

Unofficial action on Friday saw delays to 32 flights between 10.30pm and 11.30pm at Dublin.

Two days earlier the workers and their employers reached a preliminary agreement about the way forward to deal with the controllers’ grievances about low staff.

But the workers decided to withdraw their co-operation with a voluntary overtime agreement. Their union asked them to go back to work.

On Saturday morning the IAA issued a statement: “The controllers’ unofficial action is in contravention of national agreements, continuity of service agreement, and industrial relations procedures.

“The authority appeals to the controllers to desist from unofficial action which is causing great inconvenience to the public and to airlines and to participate in the process agreed at the Labour Relations Commission.”

But last night IMPACT members met to discuss the overtime ban and decided to suspend their unofficial action until Friday.