http://www.iaa.ie/index.jsp?p=93&n=96&a=828
18 January 2010: The Irish Aviation Authority has been involved in talks with air traffic controller union IMPACT for the past number of weeks over a number of issues. These issues have included a demand for a pay increase. The Authority hopes common sense will prevail and considers any disruption to air traffic control services in this day and age is wholly unacceptable.
Let me look at that text.
The Irish Aviation Authority has been involved in talks with air traffic controller union IMPACT for the past number of weeks over a number of issues.
The IAA haven’t wanted to talk to IMPACT or any other union about anything; briefings do not represent consultation. The staff briefings about the IAA’s unilateral decision to increase retirement ages, reduce pension benefits, make staff give more to pensions (after reducing their accumulated value) and withholding all increment advances, were a complete waste of everyone’s time and money.
All counter offers or comments from staff and unions were rejected in full “as this is what we have decided to do”. Most of these ‘proposed’ changes have effectively nil short-term impact on the “bottom line” to claim this is a direct response to the current economic climate and the state of the industry is a complete fabrication of the evidence.
These issues have included a demand for a pay increase.
Hardly a ‘demand’, the recent discussions have brought up the towards 2016 “pay agreement”; where the processes of delaying and not paying the agreed outcomes have effectively been exhausted in full by the IAA. The independent assessor has said the IAA can afford to pay the T16 agreement rises; the IAA has done everything possible to avoid its obligations to its staff. It should also be widely known that these T16 discussions were scheduled for many months before the attack that the IAA has made.
There has been no suggestion that there be unilateral wage advancements. The staff have met every element of the T16 agreement, they have improved productivity enormously through new procedures such as ENSURE, where airlines are saving significant fuel burn and time in transit through Irish administered airspace.
The Authority hopes common sense will prevail and considers any disruption to air traffic control services in this day and age is wholly unacceptable.
We too hope that common sense will prevail. Eamonn, his cronies and sycophants will not prevail in taking illegal industrial action. The staff will unite and fight the common aggressor, the IAA.
The IAA must not withhold any salary increment nor change pension entitlements without proper amendments to legislation, or obtaining ministerial approval for those employed post semi-state. If the IAA does not get these amendments or get the approvals then there is only one party taking illegal action and that party is the IAA.
Unfortunately Eamonn, if imposing traffic mitigation, delays or airspace closures is the only way you to get you to step off your “not so high horse” and listen to your staff then so be it; the ball is on your half of the pitch; play nicely or you can expect a significant IMPACT from us and the other unions involved.