Irish air controllers plan 24-hour strike

Ireland's air traffic controllers plan a 24-hour strike next week at the country's main airports in a growing dispute over working conditions, the IMPACT trade union said on Wednesday.

IMPACT said talks between the union and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) aimed at resolving the spat had broken down.

It said a 24-hour work stoppage by air traffic controllers will take place at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports on Feb 28.

"IMPACT regrets that talks with the IAA have failed to produce agreement on sustainable solutions to the chronic staffing shortages, which has made this action necessary," the union said in a statement.

The IAA -- which is in charge of the three airports -- said it was "extremely disappointed" by the move to strike, describing it as a "blatant breach of industrial relations procedures".

Workers say there are not enough air traffic controllers at major airports due to a lack of hiring between 2001 and 2007, which has led to an over-reliance on overtime shifts.

Since January there have been disruptions at the three airports due to a lack of sufficient air traffic controllers.

The IAA said the dispute over shifts and overtime payments had been referred to Ireland's Labour Court for "adjudication" and called on workers to await the outcome of that process.

"The Authority appeals to IMPACT and to the controllers to desist from this totally unnecessary disruptive action which will cause great inconvenience to airlines and the travelling public," it said.

The IAA said both sides had been invited by the Labour Court to a meeting on February 25.

An IMPACT spokesman said it "would respond positively to that invitation".