IAA: Air traffic controllers cannot dictate form of work

The Irish Aviation Authority says no business can have its staff dictate what work they will do and will not do.

They have issued a statement ahead of an IMPACT meeting of air traffic controllers today where the union executive will consider their next step in their dispute with the authority.

Air traffic controllers shut down the country's three main airports for four hours yesterday, in a row over the introduction of new technology and the payment of a 6% pay rise.

There are fears that the action could escalate, depending on today's union meeting.

"The IAA wants full services restored as quickly as possible and calls on controllers and IMPACT to return to normal work so that discussions can take place," said an IAA statement.

"In any such discussions –which the IAA is willing to have - the Authority wants an assurance from controllers and IMPACT that they will link all three issues that need to be addressed: pay increase, pension contribution, and work practices.

"The work that controllers are now refusing to do is work they have been doing for the last two years and were doing until three weeks ago. On January 1, 2010, they refused to continue such work. No business can have its staff dictate what work they will do and will not do, particularly in a safety-critical business such as ours.

"All air traffic control systems are continuously upgraded as a matter of course. This is a high-tech service requiring ongoing technical upgrades to its systems, many of them Windows-based.

"The IAA’s customers - the airlines - cannot pay additional charges every time such upgrades and updates occur. The IAA receives no State aid, is funded by the airlines, and would have to pass on to the airlines the entire cost of any pay increase awarded to staff."