Dozens of Albanian air traffic controllers investigated over abuse of post
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, April 8, 2021
TIRANA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Prosecutor's Office of Tirana said on Thursday that about two dozen air traffic controllers have been questioned by police and will be investigated over abuse of post following a strike which has suspended the work of the Tirana International Airport (TIA) since Wednesday.
All flights from and to TIA, the only international airport in Albania, have been suspended since Wednesday when about 68 air traffic controllers from Albcontrol company went on strike over working conditions and pay cuts.
About 13 flights confirmed by TIA were suspended on Wednesday due to the strike and it is not clear when flights might resume.
The government of Albania sent military troops and police forces on Wednesday afternoon to send air traffic controllers out of the flight control tower.
Lawyer Rezart Kthupi, who is representing the air traffic controllers, told reporters on Thursday that 24 controllers were questioned at Tirana police station overnight.
The air traffic controllers risk seven years in prison in case they are convicted of abuse of post, according to the prosecution office.
The air traffic controllers claimed that this is not a strike, but they were "incapable of working under stress" as for over a year their working conditions have changed and salaries have been cut by 62 percent due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Albanian Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku accused the air traffic controllers of taking Albania "hostage" with an illegal strike, which, according to her, has been politically motivated.
Defense Minister Niko Peleshi declared in an interview with the local media on Thursday that the government has authorized Balluku to get air traffic back in action, including hiring foreign air traffic controllers.
On Wednesday, government officials, including Prime Minister Edi Rama accused the opposition of inciting the strike with the purpose of causing chaos in the country.
According to Rama, a batch of vaccines against COVID-19 could not arrive in the country due to the suspension of flights the day earlier. Enditem
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)