Union outlines danger of 'fatigued' air traffic controllers

Air traffic controllers could be brought in from other countries to help Ireland's overworked staff, the IMPACT union said today.

Tired operators are holding three days of talks with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) in Dublin after control towers were left under-staffed through an overtime ban.

On Friday, 32 Dublin flights were grounded for an hour because of an overtime ban by disgruntled employees.

Niall Shanahan from IMPACT said: "The controllers are telling management that interim measures need to be put in place, like short-term contracts for workers from outside the jurisdiction.

"Safety is the primary focus of their job and you don't want that compromised by fatigued or overworked staff... it is important that we have the required complements in place."

He said there was no suggestion of a danger to passengers or corners being cut.

No staff have been recruited since the global aviation turmoil sparked by the September 2001 terror attacks.

A total of 24 students begin training in March but it will be 2009 before they are ready for duty - despite an increasing number of flights.

The IAA wants to ask employees to cover for sick colleagues on their rest days if required.

Around 100 members from Dublin are involved in the dispute. The Labour Relations Commission is hosting the fresh negotiations.

A spokeswoman for the IAA said: "We are currently looking at two-three year contracts (for foreign controllers) but because it is such a specialised job it could take six months to learn the practices local to Ireland."

She added controllers were granted summer and winter leave but the overtime was required when colleagues took off sick at short notice.

"It is a voluntary decision, it isn't like they are being forced into it.

"Certainly the traffic levels have gone up but we were in a situation where it was overstaffed."