In the local media this morning
Air traffic service to employ foreigners in 2010
Trade union Solidarity has called on the Air Traffic and Navigation Service (ATNS) to address staff shortages by reviewing air traffic controllers salaries and working conditions.
ATNS said it would employ foreign controllers to help cope with the tourist rush during next year’s FIFA World Cup, sparking a backlash from the local sector.
It is defending the move by saying the foreigners are being called in to ensure safe air travel, but Solidarity believes it is scrambling to fill gaps caused by years of poor employment ethics.
The service’s Anna Sanfillipo said it it needed 20 percent more staff to cope with the influx of tourists next year.
"This is largely due to the requirement for 24-hour operations at airports where normally only 12-hour operations are provided," said Sanfillipo.
However, Solidarity’s Jaco Kleynhans said ATNS would have the staff it needed for 2010 if it improved salaries and working conditions.
Talks between the union and ATNS, aimed at improving working conditions for local air traffic controllers, are continuing but this is not expected to solve the staff shortage in time for the 2010 tourist rush.