"Mother Teresa" Airport was taken over by the Rapid Intervention Forces (FNSH) after the strike of "Albcontrol" controllers, while at the moment it is still unclear when the incoming and outgoing flights will start, which has caused a emergency situation in Rinas.
The employees of "Albcontrol" stated for the media that they have not violated the terms of the employment contract, on the contrary, the company has abused in the case of two employees by starting the dismissal procedures after declaring that "they were not able to work". The lawyer of the Independent Air Transport Union, Rezart Kthupi, told the media yesterday afternoon that the situation in "Albcontrol" has escalated after the company's action against two employees who had submitted statements of incompetence. Kthupi said that the company's reaction to start dismissal procedures against them has brought insecurity to other employees.
Albcontrol controllers stopped working with the main argument of reducing salaries due to the pandemic. In an interview with Euronews, the Minister of Infrastructure, Belinda Balluku, said that "Albcontrol" is a company that has no financial relations with the state and all its revenues come from "airspace users, or landings in Rinas" .
"The state has neither decision-making nor financial relations with 'Albcontrol'. It is 100% state property, but has delegated the right of Albanian space that was abused today. The state does not decide the salaries of 'Albcontrol', 'Albcontrol' has a board that decides. " She said.
"I do not know how all individuals feel stressed and have the same problem because they no longer have a salary of 4 thousand dollars, but have 2 490 dollars. "Their request is to cancel the salary review and return to the previous salary," the minister added.
According to the minister, the strike is illegal because it is a vital sector and they have not been notified.
In a communication for "Opinion", one of the controllers of "Albcontrol", Flora Ndreca, said that together with 5 other controllers she asked for a few days of relaxation, because according to her, a controller can not work in stressful conditions, but more she was later asked by her manager to resign. This has led other controllers to fill out a temporary disability form, causing flights to be suspended.
In a post on Twitter, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that Rinas controllers have been introduced to this game by other organizers. "Abandon on their way blind the organizers of the criminal charges! Whoever does not return to work tomorrow will not find a place in Albcontrol. The time of Rrumpalla is dead and will not return! ” he writes.
It is reported that the Prosecution has launched investigations for "abuse of duty" and some of the controllers have been escorted to the police. It is currently unclear when incoming and outgoing flights will depart.
"We have set up a task force, we have contacted some of our key collaborators, I have informed the allies so we will take action, but forgive me, I can not share it with you [when the flights start]," Balluku told Opinon. .
