Three weeks after 730 Avianca pilots affiliated with the ACDAC union walked-off the job causing widespread disruptions, on Monday, travelers in Bogotá’s El Dorado airport were subject to further delays when air-traffic controllers began a ‘work to rule’ action in support of the pilots.
The Asociación Colombiana de Controladores de Tránsito Aéreo (Acdecta) began slowing operations in support of the striking pilots, despite a ruling last week by a Bogotá court that the Avianca pilots strike is illegal.
The air traffic controller’s union released a statement Monday in which they claim Colombian workers are being targeted in an aggressive way, yet also point-out that the so-called “regulation operation” – or work to rule – will in no way affect international safety procedures and the “normal operation of airports.”
On Friday, the Superior Court of Bogotá handed down a decision on the Avianca strike claiming it is illegal as it does not have the full support of the company’s employees, but affirmed the validity of strike action, in so far, that workers “can demand better working conditions and human dignity.”
Captain Jaime Hernández, vice president of the pilots union said that despite the court’s ruling, they will continue to strike. “We are facing issues of illegality and expect the Supreme Court to resolve our demands in a timely manner,” he said. Last week, the union filed an appeal before the country’s Supreme Court.
