Media

The Irish Aviation Authority received official notification from IMPACT Trade Union this afternoon that, following a ballot, Air Traffic Controller members are to take official industrial action as follows:

• An overtime ban to take effect from the 26th February 2008
• Work stoppages to take effect from a date no earlier than 26th February 2008, with at least seven days notice of the specific time and date of a stoppage. This will be issued after the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) hearing on 19th February 2008 if the dispute is not resolved.
• Work to rule - details to be specified in the near future.

The Authority is disappointed that IMPACT has resorted to serving notice of industrial action while a process in the Labour Relations Commission to resolve various issues at the heart of this dispute is ongoing. Moreover, the IMPACT action is in blatant breach of the current national agreement, Towards 2016.

The industrial action, particularly work stoppages, by Air Traffic Controllers, members of IMPACT, will affect all en-route and terminal air traffic services in and out of the country. This has the potential to cause major disruptions to airlines and to the travelling public. The Authority will continue to keep its airline customers and the travelling public informed of the effects of these actions.

This industrial action proposed by Air Traffic Controllers is in furtherance of a significantly enhanced extra attendance payment and changes to rostered attendances which are two elements of a package of other issues where agreement has mostly been reached. In such circumstances the action now proposed is by any standards excessive.