The Icelandic Government is about to step in and enact a law that ends wage negotiations between air traffic controllers and ISAVIA, the government agency that manages Iceland’s airports and controls air traffic above and around the country.
Air traffic controllers have been without a labour contract since February and are demanding a new contract and significant wage increases. To press their demands they introduced an overtime ban on 6 April.
The overtime ban means that if air traffic controllers who are on duty call in sick there is nobody to assume their duties, resulting in some significant delays for passengers as the service at Keflavík International Airport. Only emergency and ambulance flights are permitted to land or depart while the action is underway.
Mediated negotiations between ISAVIA and the air traffic controllers’ union have been ongoing for months but have proven to be unsuccessful. If the wage negotiations have not yielded results by 24 June a compulsory arbitration will be imposed on the parties, according to the government's law proposal.
In May 2015 the government banned the strike of pilots at Icelandair, Iceland's biggest airline. Then, as now, the government cited the damaging effect of the actions of the unions to the Icelandic economy.
ISAVIA's air traffic control area is in one of the largest control areas in the world. It connects three continents: Europe, Asia and North America. Around 30 million travellers passes through the area each year.
The Icelandic Government is about to step in and enact a law that ends wage negotiations between air traffic controllers and ISAVIA, the government agency that manages Iceland’s airports and controls air traffic above and around the country.
Air traffic controllers have been without a labour contract since February and are demanding a new contract and significant wage increases. To press their demands they introduced an overtime ban on 6 April.
The overtime ban means that if air traffic controllers who are on duty call in sick there is nobody to assume their duties, resulting in some significant delays for passengers as the service at Keflavík International Airport. Only emergency and ambulance flights are permitted to land or depart while the action is underway.
Mediated negotiations between ISAVIA and the air traffic controllers’ union have been ongoing for months but have proven to be unsuccessful. If the wage negotiations have not yielded results by 24 June a compulsory arbitration will be imposed on the parties, according to the government's law proposal.
In May 2015 the government banned the strike of pilots at Icelandair, Iceland's biggest airline. Then, as now, the government cited the damaging effect of the actions of the unions to the Icelandic economy.
ISAVIA's air traffic control area is in one of the largest control areas in the world. It connects three continents: Europe, Asia and North America. Around 30 million travellers passes through the area each year.
