Torre de control 2

The USCA air traffic controllers union has convened four days of partial strikes on the 8, 10, 12 and 14 of June as a rejection of the decision of ENAIRE, the spanish aerial navigation manager, to punish 61 air traffic controllers for the events in December 2010, that resulted in the closure of airspace throughout Spain.

The USCA union has called for a strike from 10 to 12 hrs. and from 18 to 20 hrs. in those days, as agreed at their meeting last Tuesday with a 81% of agreement.

This votation was supposed to be done at their March meetings, but it had to be delayed because of the accident in the Alps of the Germanwings plane, Holy Week and local and regional elections respectively.

Sanctions to 59 of the 61 controllers resulted in 1 month of employment and salary, which will be effective from 2016 due to lack of staff. The other two air traffic controllers have already accomplished their punishment due to a change of control center.

USCA also claimed reinstatement of a Santiago de Compostela controller fired after the incidents of 3 and December 4, 2010.

The union rejects these sanctions and considered them “totally out of place”. The USCA spokesman reiterated that the controllers had no role in the closure of airspace in 2010 and that judges have given them the reason.