The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association of Spain (APCAE) would like to broadcast to the media and to the air transport users the following press release:
In the past months, the air traffic controllers of Spain have become, thanks to the minister of Public Works, Mr. José Blanco, the public enemy number one. He has practically accused us of being the cause of the hardship many citizens are going through, of the air transport crisis and of the financial illness of the Spanish airport operator and air navigation service provider, AENA; the same AENA that is building without an apparent justification “the best airports in the world”, even where it seems there is no need for them according to its low subsequent activity. The same AENA that utilizes intermediaries whose involvement makes the equipment that we use more expensive and the one which subcontracts services that could be done by its own professionals.
The inability of AENA managers to reach an agreement with our union representatives, made AENA give in immediately the leadership of the negotiating strategy of the new working agreement to the minister of Public Works -we are unaware whose initiative it was and the real goal-, a legal instrument whose function he seems to ignore as he has never been a wage-earner (apart from that of his political party he has supported since his twenties). But Mr. José Blanco, far from trying to unlock the mismatch behind closed doors and in the privacy of the negotiating table, has surprised all of us with slanderous statements. Using his same usual style that so good profits have reported him in the past, he has put us all in the spotlight of the Spanish citizens and threatened our own personal integrity and that of our families.
(más…)