Bratislava’s M. R. Štefánik Airport (BTS) is operating without any restrictions and all flights are being handled according to schedule, Dana Madunická, the airport’s spokesperson told the SITA newswire. Airport staff has been on strike alert since Monday, April 11 as the trade unions announced the strike alert for an indefinite period of time to protest against low salaries. Unless representatives of employees and the airport’s management seal a deal, a strike could be called.
Madunická assured that passengers do not need to worry about their flights. The applicable collective agreement, which contains a wage order negotiated with the trade unions, expires only in October. Madunická said that standard bargaining continues. Management and the trade unions are negotiating terms of the new collective agreement to take effect in October. The spokesperson said BTS is not in a dispute with trade unions over the collective agreement and that their actions are surprising.
The real wages of employees have been shrinking constantly over the past three years, Pavel Janošík of the trade union, said on April 11, adding that further bargaining with the management would be a waste of time because the talks about the collective agreement have thus far been fruitless. More than 600 people work at the airport and it is has been reported that up to 90 percent of them support the strike alert.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
12. Apr 2011 at 14:00
