European representatives of workers in the ATM (air traffic management) sector warned on Thursday 8 April about the treatment of their Albanian colleagues by Albcontrol, the company responsible for the management and control of the country’s airspace.
The latter - wholly owned by the Albanian state, but financed solely by the airlines on the basis of air traffic - has cut the salaries of its employees by up to 70%.
Before making its decision, Albcontrol did not even “consult or talk to the Unions” and subsequently refused to negotiate a collective agreement, reports ATCEUC - which represents some 14,000 employees in the sector in Europe - and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF).
At the beginning of the week, air traffic controllers in Tirana went on strike. The Albanian authorities then sent police officers to remove the air traffic controllers from the control tower, and some controllers were reportedly arrested. ATCEUC reports that it has lost contact with these workers.
Last week, some met with the Albanian President, Ilir Meta, to express their concerns. “They have been heard”, an ATCEUC member assured EUROPE.
On Thursday, Mr Meta requested - as shown in a statement available on his website - that Albcontrol be questioned by the Albanian State Supreme Audit. But the request was deemed irrelevant by the Prime Minister, Edi Rama.
The latter also called for the dismissal of controllers who refused to return to work and reportedly threatened to take legal action against the protesting workers.
This crisis, which is now shaking even the Albanian government, comes at a time when Tirana could finally, by next July, officially open its negotiations for EU membership with the holding of its first Intergovernmental Conference (see EUROPE 12631/15).
“In a country that aspires to become a member of the EU, it is unacceptable that security-critical workers can be dismissed and ultimately arrested simply for performing their duties in accordance with EU regulations”, says ATCEUC, which expects the EU institutions not to remain silent. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)