Airport strike expected to cause Monday flight delays, cancellations

Airport workers will carry out a 24-hour strike on Monday, which is expected to cause delays and cancellations in flights scheduled to depart that day. The strike will be carried out by airport healthcare workers, firefighters, inspectors, administrative staff, and land control personnel employed by the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC, by its Spanish initials). The union had originally planned the strike for last Monday, February 2, to protest ANACs delay in salary payments. The action was rescheduled to February 9 after wages were paid without an increase that had been previously agreed to, the State Workers Association union (ATE) said. The union was willing to call off the measure if that pay raise was transferred. Since airport activities are considered essential, strikes must be announced with a minimum of five days’ notice, and at least half the services must remain operational. The national government was initially expected to intervene by issuing what is known as a mandatory conciliation period, in which industrial actions are immediately suspended to encourage unions and employers to continue negotiating and reach an agreement.  For now, the [decision to] strike remains in place, and there are no prospects of a mandatory conciliation period, Marcelo Belleli, representative of the ATE branch for ANAC employees, told the Herald. During the strike, ANAC workers will only respond in the event of humanitarian, medical or state flights, as well as emergencies and arrivals scheduled to land at the time the strike begins on Monday at 00 a.m. The authorities know that it is not enough just to pay the salaries; they must also pay the increase that was agreed upon, ATE leader Rodolfo Aguiar said in a statement on Monday.People must know that if airport operations are disrupted, it is solely the responsibility of the government.