Belgian ATC company Skeyes puts structural solutions on the negotiation table

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© skeyes

During today’s social consultation, skeyes management has gathered all the proposals, some of which have been on the table for some time, which could provide structural solutions for the future of the company. These solutions make it possible, among other things, to provide answers to the points formally submitted by the trade unions.

Recruitment

To ensure continuity of operations, skeyes has heavily recruited in recent years, especially air traffic controllers. These recruitments are only beginning to bear fruit now, as candidate air traffic controllers have now completed their two-year training. The maximum number of students who can simultaneously complete their training in the control towers has now been reached.

With a view to providing more rapid reinforcement to the staff of the CANAC 2 air traffic control centre, management is proposing to directly recruit staff for this centre. So far, CANAC 2 employees must have worked a few years in the towers before they could access CANAC 2. Of course, current tower controllers who intend to switch to CANAC 2 can still do so.

Skeyes customers also require guaranteed minimum service as it applies in other sectors (e.g. the Belgian railways SNCB/NMBS).

Rostering and career

For more than one year, negotiations on schedules and careers of air traffic controllers have been ongoing and final proposals are on the table.

Through these proposals, management wishes to distribute benefits equitably among all air traffic controllers, taking into account the age of the persons concerned. As a result, the end-of-career and career break regulations may now be implemented correctly and without delay.

Management’s proposal provides for a fixed cycle, whereby all air traffic controllers will have to work a maximum of 6 days in a row.

In the new system, all air traffic controllers work maximum 35 hours a week, as planned at the moment, including stand-by services. On an annual basis, everyone makes between 164 and 198 shifts (depending on age and entity). This new organisation of work represents a de facto average wage increase of 8 to 20% (depending on the units and profiles).

Improvements for all

Management also made the necessary efforts for technical and meteorological staff, among other things in terms of allowances and bonuses for teamwork, night and weekends shifts and for emergency interventions, due to changing work conditions and continuity of services.

Management wants to strive for continuous improvement of the service provided, but at the same time to achieve a better balance between professional and private life of its employees. It is confident that the proposals now on the table will achieve both of these goals.

Monday, March 18, 2019

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