Air traffic controllers whose strike grounded 20,000 air travel passengers earlier this week have agreed to a full resumption of normal working hours with no threat of industrial action of any kind.

Following almost seven hours of talks at the Labour Court yesterday, the Irish Aviation Authority and the air traffic controllers’ union IMPACT agreed measures to avoid further disruption, and to process outstanding disputes.

The dispute came to a head on Wednesday following the suspension of 14 controllers without pay.

The agreement reached saw those workers restored to the payroll.

In the agreement, management and IMPACT acknowledged that a bona fide dispute existed between them.

The essence of the dispute is whether work on new technology projects constitutes normal ongoing change, as contended by the IAA, or significant change, as contended by IMPACT. The dispute will be heard by the Labour Court next Tuesday after which a binding adjudication will be issued.

Labour Court hearings next week will also address all pay, pensions, and project work.

IMPACT has all along claimed it took the action because 14 of its members were suspended for refusing to cooperate with new technology.

The IAA, however, maintained the action was motivated by controllers’ greed as they tried to secure a 6% pay increase as agreed in the last partnership agreement, Towards 2016, and to avoid paying a contribution towards their pensions in line with all other public sector staff.

According to the IAA, the salary for an air traffic controller is about €115,000. If the pension contribution, and the PRSI contribution, made by the IAA is factored in, this total package comes to about €160,000 per year. Controllers can avail of an on-call allowance worth €4,000.

Currently, air traffic controllers pay no pension contribution, with the IAA paying a contribution of 30.5%.