Contrôleurs suspendus : grève en Irlande

Après la suspension de certains d'entre eux par l'autorité irlandaise de l'aviation civile, nos collègues Irlandais, à l'appel du syndicat IMPACT qui les représente, mèneront des actions de grève qui pourraient perturber l'activité aéronautique de la région.

Communiqué du syndicat IMPACT

Disruption to flights today is happening SOLELY because management at the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has suspended air traffic controllers from duty in Dublin and Shannon airports, without pay.

The disruption can be avoided if management withdraws the suspensions.

Air traffic controllers are NOT taking industrial action today in pursuit of a pay claim, or over new technologies. They are taking action because management has suspended staff.

There was no need for management to do this because the core differences between management and staff are already being dealt with by the Labour Relations Commission and the Labour Court. [The pay issue goes before the Labour Court next Tuesday and both sides agreed last Thursday that the ‘new technologies’ issue should also be referred to the Labour Court].

Pending the Labour Court process, IMPACT told the company that air traffic controllers would respond to any suspensions with industrial action – but the company went ahead anyway, even though it is less than a week until the Labour Court hearing.

The company is being dishonest when it says that the air traffic controllers should be cooperating with new work practices in advance of a Labour Court hearing. They say that the new work practices are ‘normal ongoing change’, when that is the precise issue that the Labour Court has been asked to rule on – whether they are ‘normal ongoing change’ or not. The ‘status quo’ is the existing work practices – not the new ones.

The IAA has said it will further escalate the problem by making further suspensions today and tomorrow.

Members of the union working at air traffic control voted, by a majority of 99%, not to cooperate with the new work practices until agreement could be reached. Pending agreement, air traffic controllers are observing an instruction of non-cooperation by their trade union, IMPACT.

La IAA présente évidement les choses sous une toute autre forme !!!

Communiqué de la IAA

"Significant numbers of flights will be disrupted and cancelled today because of action by Air Traffic Controllers.  We apologise to the travelling public and to our customer airlines for this disruption.

"Our primary concern in the IAA is airline safety.  Air traffic controllers, through their union IMPACT, have outlined the actions they intend to take today - stoppages in all airports.  These actions are likely to escalate.

"Work stoppages like those proposed for today cause distraction and uncertainty.  We cannot operate a crucial and safety-critical service in an environment of uncertainty.  We need the full assurance that all controllers are prepared to carry out all assigned duties. 

"To resolve this dispute, the Authority requires the controllers and IMPACT to be prepared to address the following three issues together:

1. We need controllers to resume normal working practices - as was the case on all projects until the end of '09;
2. We need them to suspend their 6% pay claim;
3. We need them to pay a contribution towards their pension in line with all other public service workers. (The Controllers make no contribution to their own pensions. The Authority, meanwhile, pays a contribution of 30.5% of salary for every member of staff.)

"They are among the best paid public servants in the country.  On average, they cost the Irish Aviation Authority €160,000 each. Earnings for the top ten per cent of controllers in the country last year ranged from €170,000 to €230,000.

"They work 182 days a year, they have 137 rest days, and 36 days holidays - in addition to 10 public holidays.  They work a 35 hour week.  They are entitled to a break of 30 minutes for every two hours worked.  They work five days and then get three days off.

"We want them to be reasonable and suspend discussion of this 6% increase.  We have told them we will be happy to review it in 2012.  We want them to make a contribution to their own excellent pensions, in line with everyone else in the public sector.  We have not cut salaries.  We are not cutting jobs."

"Paying this 6% would cost the IAA an additional € 6 million each year.   This cost would have to be passed in its entirety to the airlines who fund the IAA - the Authority receives no State funding and operates a cost recovery model. 

"The airlines cannot afford to pay any increases in the current economic climate.  The aviation industry is on its knees.  Airlines cannot afford to take on this additional cost.