Air traffic controllers decided yesterday not to go on strike today as they had planned after Minister of Transport Kristján L. Möller announced to them that a bill would be submitted to parliament in the evening to end the strike if they didn’t.
Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
A statement from the Association of Icelandic Air Traffic Controllers reads that the decision was made as the government had promised that discussions on a new wage contract would resume immediately and that negotiators would be involved who have plenary authority from the state, Morgunbladid reports.
“So we decided not to submit the bill,” Möller said. “We hope that people will go back to the negotiating table and that the time will be used for reaching agreements.”
The minister added it is pleasing that further strikes were canceled. “It had begun to have very serious consequences.” Now flights will continue undisturbed.
There were delays to both international and domestic flights on Wednesday when air traffic controllers went on strike.
The Federation of State and Municipal Employees (BSRB) has released a statement protesting the government’s intervention in wage disputes reasoning that the right to strike is among the basic rights of wage earners.
Air mechanics and Icelandair are currently in negotiations on new wages. They have called for a strike on March 22 if agreements haven’t been reached before that time. Air mechanics have already gone on strike once this year.
Click here to read more about that story and here to read to read more about air traffic controllers striking on Wednesday.
