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Civil Aviation Minister Iffy on Penalties For Air Traffic Controllers
Thu, February 26, 2015
Yesterday in San Pedro, Minister with responsibility for civil aviation Manuel Junior Heredia addressed the issue of the air controllers sick out on Saturday. It shut down the airport's operations for five hours - and raised many public questions about the state of the equipment in the air control tower. Heredia today told the media that no one complained to him - but he does have his own complaints:..

Hon. Manuel Junior Heredia
"These people should not have acted n that way. Probably they didn't get good advice, but we are hoping that this will not be repeated in the future and we are also working in additional support, which at this point I cannot reveal, when it happens you will know, but definitely from our own government department's we are looking into training other people. I have been very open. When I met with them before the Christmas holidays, I was very open, look, if you are not happy with what is happening over there and people are not listening to you, there is the minister who will entertain from the guy that sweep the area to the highest officer. There is no special for anyone. That is the way I have operated and that is the way I will continue to do so, but at the end of the day, if you do your investigation and you find out that there is mischief, then you have to deal with the issue. You cannot allow anyone..."

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"The management said that they have not classified it as a sick out and that they are hearing the workers and nothing will be done to the workers, but from your ministerial point of view, are you still hoping that later on, you try to investigate and try to fire somebody?"

Hon. Manuel Junior Heredia
"I don't believe in firing. If people are doing their job well, fine. But if anybody, from any part of my department, I can find evidence, that there is negligence of that, most definitely I have to act upon that."

A follow up meeting to address issues between civil aviation department bosses and the air traffic controllers was held today.

As alluded to by Heredia - Government has a plan to train other government employees so that they can do the job if such an event occurs again. We gather that is more easily said than done, since the training is intensive, rigorous and specialized.

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