The escalating dispute between Irish Aviation Authority employees and the semi-state agency may set the tone for public sector employment relations over the coming months.

Impact, the largest public service trade union, responded swiftly to moves to suspend 15 members who refused to operate a newer system to monitor and control air traffic in Irish airspace.

Discussions last week at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) failed to secure a compromise and the issue has been referred to the Labour Court.

Management contends that the new procedures are part of  normal air-traffic control work but there is a  backdrop of a union claim for a 6% pay rise based on the national ‘partnership’ agreement which has been either repudiated or abandoned  in recent weeks by its main participants.

It will be interesting to see how much management autonomy is allowed in this dispute by the Minister for Transport if industrial action is expanded from tomorrow’s (Wednesday, Jan 20th) planned four-hour ‘stoppage’ for Impact consultations meetings.

Its 300 members at the IAA, who rank among the highest-paid public sector employees in the state (along with staff at ESB and Bord Gais) have not been affected by the public service pension levy or the cuts in standard pay rates imposed in Budget 2010 for the 315,000 public service employees.

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