Flygelederstreiken: Dette krangler de om

Flygelederstreiken has already caused cancellations, delays, and closed airports. On Tuesday, the conflict was set to escalate with eight more flight attendants joining the strike, in addition to the twelve already on strike. The extension is now set for Wednesday at 06.00. On Monday morning, the Norwegian Flight Attendants' Association (NFF) and employer Spekter met for new talks.

"I have great hopes that as responsible parties we will get out of our positions so that a solution can be found that ends this strike, which the flight attendants' association has initiated and which affects the hard-pressed aviation industry," said Anne-Kari Bratten, the managing director of Spekter, to VG before the meeting. She added that they are committed to using time to achieve this on the day.

Spekter has very different descriptions of both flight attendants' daily work and what it takes to resolve the conflict. Central points of contention between flight attendants and Avinor are the breaks for flight attendants who are alone on duty. Flight attendants can work up to 16 hours without Spekter believing it is a real break, according to Robert Gjønnes, the leader of the Norwegian Flight Attendants' Association (NFF).

"It is just as unacceptable that a flight attendant sits for seven or eight hours on duty without a break," says Gjønnes. The problem is mainly felt by those working alone. On larger units, where several work simultaneously, breaks are generally not a problem, according to NFF. Alone on duty, there can be periods without flights on frequency.

But the flight attendant must still follow radio and emergency frequencies, monitor the airspace and traffic on the ground, watch the weather, and be available on the phone. "There is no break. You cannot take a break while working," says Gjønnes. NFF refers to EU regulations, which define a break as a rest period during which the flight attendant is not required to perform tasks.

"We want the overall framework laid down in the regulation to be followed as the intention of the law is," says Gjønnes. Spekter claims that increasing working hours could require additional staffing and raise costs. NFF believes there are other solutions, such as shutting down the service for a shorter period so that the flight attendant can take a break.

Gjønnes points out that the goal is not to increase staffing, but to implement breaks. VG has submitted this to both Avinor and Spekter. Spekter has no comment and is currently focused on trying to find a consensus between the parties so that air traffic can return to normal, according to Ingvild Dahl Dørnes, the organizational and staff chief of Spekter.

Spekter has previously warned that flight attendants' wage increases, in line with the front-facts norm, could reach 62,000 kroner each. Spekter also says it has not demanded changes to any working conditions in the flight attendants' collective agreement. Spekter believes that some of flight attendants' claims related to working hours would significantly increase the need for staffing.

However, NFF disagrees. "We believe this can be solved within reasonable limits locally," says Gjønnes. "We are willing to discuss all the demands we have made to Avinor and Spekter in a good dialogue." Bratten believes the debate over regulating breaks is a battle to get this into the collective agreement. "The flight attendants' association is fighting a working time regime that they have lost in two court rulings," said Bratten to NRK on Sunday.