Media

21 January 2010: The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is very disappointed with the response of air traffic controllers following their Union meeting yesterday.  The Authority deeply regrets the potential for ongoing uncertainty and disruption.

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.  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 1st 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.

Actions such as yesterday’s stoppages cause distraction and uncertainty.  The provision of a crucial and safety-critical service is difficult in an environment of uncertainty.

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.

Ends

For further information:
 

Lilian Cassin

Corporate Communications Manager

(087) 6474079

(01) 6031455