Labour Court hearing today in bid to resolve aviation dispute

AIR traffic controllers and the Irish Aviation Authority meet in the Labour Court this morning to see if they can reach a deal which would avert further strike action at the country’s three main airports.

While accepting the invitation, the authority and controllers both continued to maintain entirely different reasons as to why more than 100 flights and 20,000 passengers were grounded by cancellations on Wednesday afternoon.

IMPACT trade union, which represents the controllers, said it had taken the action because 14 of its members were suspended for refusing to cooperate with new technology. The IAA said the action was motivated by controllers’ greed as they tried to secure a 6% pay increase.

Yesterday morning, the aviation authority released letters from airlines claiming that while no industrial action was supposed to be ongoing, their flights were being subjected to some form of “work-to-rule” which continued to disrupt passenger services.

“The usual and customary flexibility and cooperation between air traffic controllers and Aer Arann pilots seems to have been dropped in favour of more tedious and unnecessary practices…” wrote Aer Arann director of operations, John Halpin. “We find the whole manner in which we, as customer airlines, are being treated as most distasteful and at the very least, we wish to see professional comradery and mutual cooperation maintained regardless of the dispute, which is not with Aer Arann or any other airlines.”

Choorah Singh, deputy director of operations control with Ryanair, was even more direct.

“Ryanair is very concerned that unofficial ‘work-to-rule’ action seems to be occurring at Dublin air traffic control this morning which is causing unnecessary delays and disruption to our passengers,” she said. “I have received reports this morning of delaying of push-backs on the ramp and of some flights not being given direct routing as would normally be provided.

“We have also heard rumours that controllers will not cover sick leave this weekend and if this is the case our operation and passengers may be further disrupted.”

IMPACT denied there was any work to rule in force and said controllers were not considering further action in light of the Labour Court invitation.

A source close to the dispute pointed out that the way the dispute is being approached is reflective of the way industrial relations has changed. Prior to the collapse of social partnership last month, the Government would have asked the National Implementation Body to get involved before passengers were disrupted, but in the new industrial relations era, all that emerged was a call from Transport Minister Noel Dempsey for a “no-strike” clause for essential services.