Air traffic controller talks breakdown and threaten travel at Easter
The current deal on overtime expires on March 31
Talks between the Spanish Airports Authority, AENA, and the air traffic controllers in Spain on the new wage round have broken down and the tourism peak of Easter is under threat.
The main air traffic controllers union USCA says that AENA broke off the talks ‘unilaterally’.
The current agreement on overtime expires on March 31 and so problems are expected from April 1 if no new deal is done.
The Minster for Development, José Blanco, has said he wants to see a 40% reduction in the take-home pay of the controllers, taking their wages to 200,000 € a year. The controllers claim that safety is under threat as they are short-staffed. They have been accused of carrying out an unofficial work to rule over recent weeks, affecting flights to the Canary Islands in particular.
AENA says it needs to adjust the number of controllers to the needs of the air traffic, and has released plans of automatic systems at airports with fewer than 50 operations a day.
A reduction! How much would a controller expect in UK/USA/elsewhere?
By: lucas - 3rd February 2010 at 11:52
I think thats ridiculous, the controllers should take what they are given and keep their mouth shut. €200,000 is more than plenty, and as you said, it is certainly more than controllers here or in the US would recieve, I think.
This is certainly worrying, im a student studying in London but live in Madrid so will be returning home the end of march, returning in april. I hope their disruption doesnt mean me driving home!!
Sign In
February 3, 2010 at 11:44 am