A Moscow court has ruled that Russian air traffic controllers cannot go on strike, Russia's air transport agency Rosaviatsiya said Tuesday.
The national union of air traffic controllers is in dispute over a new contract and is demanding the resignation of Valery Gorbenko, who heads Russia's state air traffic corporation.
The protest started in April and by the end of the month staff at 55 air traffic management centers were involved. Rather than stopping work, the controllers are on hunger strike, reportedly consuming less food when not on the job.
Rosaviatsiya said Moscow's Savyolovsky court issued the ruling on May 13. The court banned air traffic controllers from using strikes as a means of resolving labor or any other disputes.
It also banned the leaders of the air traffic controllers' trade union, including president Sergei Kovalyov, from calling on members to go on strike or perform other actions preventing civil aviation personnel from working.
The current conflict revolves around the collective contract for air traffic controllers for 2010-2013. The union wants to reinstate the terms of the previous deal.
Russia's state air traffic corporation said the contract was signed with all employees on same or even better terms than previous contracts and that only two trade union leaders are discontent with it rather than the entire personnel.
MOSCOW, May 18 (RIA Novosti)
