John Myers Jr., Staff Reporter
THE ISLAND'S air traffic controllers are again heading for a showdown with Government. This comes as the Jamaica Air Traffic Controllers Association (JATCA) threatened to serve a three-week ultimatum on Jamaica's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to complete a long-standing wage and fringe benefit agreement.
The JATCA yesterday said it could not guarantee normal service if the CAA fails to respond to the ultimatum in a satisfactory manner and in good time. The air traffic controllers, who are stationed at the island's two international airports, monitor and process information on airlines entering, leaving and flying over Jamaica's airspace.
Howard Greaves, president of the JATCA, told The Gleaner that the members have mandated the executive of the association to press for an end to the negotiations.
"Our membership is asking that we conclude the negoti-ations before the start of the tourist season because that is when we want to have peace of mind in terms of our work and because the police have been able to strike a deal," he said.
In addition, Mr. Greaves said the JATCA will be pressing for a loss of licence insurance scheme. "We are saying that if for any reason that you are not able to continue (working) because of illness, the insurance would (be there to) provide protection like a golden parachute for the air traffic controllers." He said the JATCA also wants the Govern-ment to put in place a special loan scheme to assist the air traffic controllers until the market study is completed and they are given an increase.
The JATCA has been pressing the Government for a 20-40 per cent wage increase to bring the salaries of the 70 air traffic controllers in line with that of flight safety inspectors. But the government has been resisting, claiming that it is unable to grant an increase in light of the Public Sector Memorandum of Understanding.
MARKET STUDY
The air traffic controllers last took industrial action in May, but were forced to continue working after the Government obtained an injunction from the Supreme Court. While short-lived, the industrial action resulted in a disruption of the schedules of some airlines at both the Norman Manley and Sangster international airports.
Mr. Greaves said both parties had agreed for a market valuation study to be carried out as part of efforts to justify the level of increase that the officers should receive. He said the market study would serve two purposes.
"One is to show our relative worth within the organisation and also to show how if any way at all our salaries have eroded since we last signed a wage agreement some two years ago." He said the study would also establish a payment scale for air traffic controllers who perform radar services, eliminating the current provisional premium payment system.
The ATCA president said the JCAA had contracted a firm known as Focal Point to conduct the study which begun several months ago, but which was said to be "11 months behind schedule".
Neither the Minister of Transport, Robert Pickersgill nor the director general of the JCAA, Colonel Torrance Lewis, could be reached for comment yesterday.
