Airport strikes to cause travel chaos

TENS of thousands of air travellers face massive disruption today when a strike by air traffic controllers will close the country’s three main airports, leading to the cancellation of more than 150 flights.

The industrial action at Dublin, Cork and Shannon follows the suspension of 15 air traffic controllers – 10 in Dublin and five in Shannon – for failing to co-operate with disputed new work practices involving new technology. In response to the suspensions, the controllers’ union IMPACT said it would carry out a work stoppage through mandatory meetings today between 2pm and 6pm in Dublin and Shannon and between 4pm and 6pm in Cork.

According to the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), the move will effectively shut all three airports as no flights will be able enter or leave the country during this period. Flights through Irish airspace are also expected be affected. The issue of the new work practices had been under discussion at the Labour Relations Commission and is due to be referred to the Labour Court. Members of the union voted by a majority of 99% not to co-operate with the new work practices until agreement could be reached. IMPACT said staff should not be suspended while negotiations were ongoing. The union claims workers are not opposed to new work practices, but rather the way in which they have been introduced.

However, the IAA said the real agenda of the controllers is to force the immediate payment of a 6% pay increase as agreed in the last partnership agreement, Towards 2016, and to avoid the payment of a contribution towards their pensions in line with all other public sector staff. According to the IAA, the salary for an air traffic controller is approximately €115,000. If the pension contribution, and the PRSI contribution, made by the IAA is factored in, this total package comes to about €160,000 per year. Controllers can also avail of an on-call allowance worth €4,000 per year. Currently, air traffic controllers pay no pension contribution with the IAA paying a contribution of 30.5%.

Director of human resources at the IAA Liam Kavanagh said the changes in work practices were not “revolutionary” and were part of normal duties. Mr Kavanagh was also critical of the request for a pay increase and said they were also in receipt of a “Rolls Royce pension” while the pension fund was currently €234 million in deficit.

Assistant general secretary of IMPACT Michael Landers hit back at claims by the IAA and said as the core issues had been referred to the Labour Court, the IAA should not be suspending staff. “It is not true to say that we have demanded money in return for this. What we have said is that this can be dealt with and we made proposals at the Labour Relations Commission that can be dealt with in terms of staffing numbers and maybe in terms of rosters and things like that.

“It seems what the IAA is trying to do is import the pay cuts and the so-called pension contribution from the civil service into what is a profitable semi-state company. It made a profit last year, it will make a profit this year,” he said.