Just saw this on the IAA website, think its the newest b..**** released
News & Press Releases
Date: February 24 2008
Headline: IAA CALLS ON IMPACT TO SETTLE DISPUTE FOR NO MONEY
24 FEBRUARY 2008: The IAA today calls on the IMPACT Trade Union to be clear and honest about the real issues at the Labour Court tomorrow and stop "fogging" their payment demands with made up staff shortages. In over 40 hours of talks at the Labour Relations Commission(LRC) to date, the issue of staff shortages has been discussed only 10% of the time while the Air Traffic Controllers' demands for more overtime pay and enhanced call in payments have been discussed 90% of the time. In the current negotiations on an alternate on-call/extra attendance arrangement at the LRC, Air Traffic Controllers are demanding an 11,000 payment for being on-call for 12 days per annum with an obligation to work only six.
This works out at 1,833 per attendance. They are also demanding 125 per hour for any attendance over and above that level, including a minimum six hours payment for any attendance. This would amount to over 1,000 for an average duty and 750 for a one-two hour extension of a duty. An Air Traffic Controller at Heathrow Airport, London receives Stg£550 for a full shift of additional attendance.
There is no shortage of Air Traffic Controllers in the Irish Aviation Authority. Sufficient staff are available to match the level of traffic at any given time and are deployed in accordance with international safety standards. Staff plans are agreed on an annual basis. The Authority totally rejects IMPACT's assertion that it has accepted in talks at the LRC, that any shortage of controllers exist. This is NOT the case and never has been as the Authority has consistently pointed out in press releases.
The Irish Air Traffic Control System is not dependent on overtime. The average overtime attendance by Air Traffic Controllers in 2007 was less than one hour per week. The highest level of overtime in 2007 by an Air Traffic Controller was 302 hours a year or 6.5 hours per week on average.
The Authority recruits and trains Air Traffic Controllers (it takes 18-24 months at a cost of 270,000 to train one controller paid exclusively by the IAA). As part of its manpower planning to meet forecasted traffic demands and expectant retirements, and not in response to IMPACT allegations of staff shortages, 36 students will commence training with the IAA in 10 days time. These will be fully operational in mid-2009. The advertisements to recruit these staff were placed in September 2007, months ahead of IMPACT action. A further class of students will commence early next year. There are 295 Air Traffic Controllers employed at present in Dublin, Shannon and Cork Airports.
This is an entirely made up dispute in that no "staffing issues" arose in the busy Summer and Christmas periods when traffic was at its peak and also maximum staff were on leave. The current disruptive action is orchestrated to ensure that the IAA is short of staff at key periods and for safety reasons the IAA has had to restrict traffic, reduce services or close airports.
Controllers were awarded an additional 5% pay increase in December 2007 in addition to the 10% paid under Towards 2016, despite claiming over 30%. From 1 January 2008 Air Traffic Controllers on the maximum of their scale, are paid 107,884 and the IAA makes a pension contribution of 31% giving a total remuneration package of 141,328 excluding overtime. Air Traffic Controllers enjoy a Defined Benefit Pension Scheme to which they contribute nothing. They may retire at 60 and receive half of their salary as pension (subject to service), in addition to a lump sum of one and a half times their salary.
The IAA calls on IMPACT to settle this dispute for no additional payments and inform the public that it will accept and publish the Labour Court recommendation in full.
ENDS
For further information contact;
Lilian Cassin
Corporate Communications Manager
Irish Aviation Authority
Tel: 087 647 4079
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